Faith, Hope & Carrot Soup
by Nutzoide
Summary: Set after Manatsu no Eve the Masaki Family has settled back down into their usual routine, now with the infant Mayuka among them. However, not everything is as peaceful as it seems and their world soon starts to crumble around them.
1. A Long Quiet Night

Tenchi Muyo: Faith, Hope & Carrot Soup  
  
Hi there! Well, this is my first Fanfic so I hope you'll all bear with me as I find my bearings. I am writing this because it just begged to have something done with it, and the way it has shaped up has lent it to this type of writing.  
  
It is set in the Manatsu no Eve continuity so it mixes both the OAV and the TV background continuities, and some slight alteration on my part to help it gel. I hope I have got the best of both continuities. I am also trying to write this with some sense of reality as to how each of the characters will cope in the scenario and I hope that the way it plays out feels both honest and natural.  
  
I have used Romanji (phonetic Japanese in English text) for the suffixes (such as -chan and -sama) and for some select words. This is because some things in Japanese just sound strange in English, and this is a Japanese show so I wanted to remain faithful to the original speech style. I'll stick the translations in my notes at the end of each chapter and add to it as and when needed. For now I've put in the ones I'm most likely to use.  
  
I also warn that it will probably be a bit of a dark fic as it goes on but I hope that that won't put you off. It's just the way it came to me, and it might change as I go! There may also be some lime content (nudity and mild sexual situations) later on but nothing worse than in the OAVs.  
  
This first part is mainly scene/continuity setting and a bit of an introduction for those newer to Tenchi Muyo.  
  
Well, comments and criticisms gratefully received at:  
  
nutzoide@hotmail.com  
  
If you don't I won't know how to improve!  
  
By the way: Tenchi Muyo, it's associated characters and names etc. belong to AIC and Pioneer (and possibly others too!) I own the story ideas and original characters, so if you want to use them please ask first. Please, PLEASE don't sue me. I'm only doing this through love of the show!  
  
I hope you enjoy this, and I'll try to continue it as soon as my studies permit.  
  
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Faith, Hope & Carrot Soup  
  
- A Tenchi Muyo Fan-Fiction By Nutzoide -  
  
Chapter 0: A Long Quiet Night  
  
It was dark in the Masaki's house. Everyone was asleep, even the seemingly insomniac Washu having dosed off in her laboratory. But in the living room lay a little 9-year-old girl in her pyjamas, crying.  
  
Her two long blue ponytails, usually wrapped up in cloth when she slept, were out underneath her face absorbing her tears as she lay on her side.  
  
It hurt. Why did it have to hurt so much?  
  
She had been looking forward to this for a while now. With one exception it was the most important time of her life. But there she was, curled up in a ball, her pink eyes, usually so bright and cheerful, tightly closed as another lance of pain coursed through her stomach.  
  
Mum never said it would be like this, she thought.  
  
Mum wouldn't. She is always so enthusiastic and happy about everything; she wouldn't want to do anything to hurt anyone close to her. She wouldn't want to make us worry. And dad was never really that close, I was just 'his little girl'. Mother Funaho told me a bit, but not the way she had with Onee-sama. She though that could wait 'till I was older'.  
  
That was seven hundred years ago now. True, she should have gone though this period centuries ago, but she and her sister had stayed in stasis for most of their journey. Even though her tree would give her the extended life the Juraians had become accustomed to, her time in stasis meant that she was still a child. She had still had a few years to learn. But then they had left, and she never had been told any more. Her sister had had other things on her mind and the times it had occurred to her she had assumed that her tutors or even Mother Funaho would have explained it to her. Or she would just ask.  
  
But now she knew what it was like. And she would have to bear it. Maybe for a long time. And she wouldn't let the others know about it or what it was like. More than anything else she wanted everyone to be happy, and she knew they would worry about her. She didn't want that. It would disrupt everything. She liked the way it was. This family had come together despite everything that had happened and she didn't want to be the one to upset it all. That's why she had come downstairs when it started. She was afraid she would cry, and that might wake up Ayeka or Ryo-ohki. So she lay there in the dark, holding herself, wishing it would go away.  
  
"Tsunami," she whispered to herself, "please make it go away."  
  
Slowly, and despite the pain induced by her first menstruation, she felt her eyes relax as she fell into a fitful sleep. Alone.  
  
***  
  
Ayeka, first princess of Jurai, rubbed her dark pink eyes. She was sure she had heard something. Her younger sister Sasami was gone, her futon left untidily on the floor. At first she thought her sibling had gone for something to drink, but she had been missing for a while now. Ryo- ohki had also disappeared.  
  
She tried to stay awake. When Sasami returned she would be there to tell a story to her as she fell asleep. Without that her sister could get some truly terrifying nightmares and her face as she awoke was too much for Ayeka. Sometimes her sister even screamed in her sleep. She believed this was probably something to do with the bond Sasami shared with Tsunami, as many of these dreams where somewhat prophetic in nature.  
  
Ayeka herself usually slept well. She had even been trained not to snore by the doctors at the palace. It was only a little noise, not the loud rumbles she would sometimes hear if she passed Nobuyuki's room, but it was still not considered to be ladylike and not desirable in a royal or a wife. So, like the rest of her behaviour, her sleep was that of a perfect lady. In fact her politeness and etiquette were exemplary. She also tried to respect the customs and feelings of those around her, much unlike Ryoko who would embarrass Tenchi no end with her allusions and extrovert behaviour. She didn't like seeing Tenchi uncomfortable like that. She had noticed Sasami had become more rash, and louder now she came to think of it, since meeting that pirate, which is what Ryoko was lets face it.  
  
But when riled this princess could really lay down the line. Her combat abilities were impressive thanks to royal self defence training and the combat abilities afforded her by her headpiece, which was also the control key to her ship, Ryu-oh, now re-growing in Washu's lab. Her verbal combat was also impressive, thanks to observing Jurai's political feuds.  
  
She would sometimes work these verbal contests into the stories she told she sister. Sasami could stand up for herself, but her arguments were often very simple. Fine for this family, as with the exception of Nobuyuki and Washu who was not always there at meals there was no one else to cook. However, later in life she might find a crippling put down or retort useful every now and again.  
  
But for some reason she was too tired to think of any. Barely awake for 10 minutes her eyelids had begun to droop, and she found herself trying to tie back the two long tresses of purple that descended from under her neatly cut pageboy hair despite the fact they were already neatly packed away in the cloth she slept with them in.  
  
"I hope she's OK," she murmured to herself as she lay back down.  
  
"She can't get into any trouble, and Ryo-ohki is with her."  
  
She didn't even get around to worrying whether Ryoko would be there, teaching her more bad habits.  
  
All that was left in the room was the sound her soft breathing as she slept.  
  
***  
  
Up on the Masaki family roof lay a woman. She wore an elaborate outfit of white, blue and orange, which she liked as it set of her contrasting head of spiky cyan hair and her slightly feral looking yellow eyes. It wasn't shy about showing off her figure either.  
  
She was in a tranquil mood. It had been a good day.  
  
Nothing much had happened, but that was what was good about it. She had just floated around, spent a few hours looking after Mayuka while the others had gone shopping, given Tenchi a really good scare out in the fields. She had even done her chores, which had gained her complements from one and all, even Ayeka, however grudgingly it had been given. Mind you, she had soaked the royal pain in cold water in the baths that morning, so she had been lucky to get any acknowledgement at all.  
  
That reminded her of the first time they had met. It hadn't been such a harmless situation then though. That had been during the one time she had managed to escape Kagato's hold on her, and the consequences had been very unpleasant.  
  
No, she didn't want to think about stuff like that. It was ruining her mood. She though back to the day Tenchi had freed her from that damn cave. She had spent all of two centuries using every drop of her energy to create those substitute gems so she would have enough power to free herself and who should wander in and open the door, but that kid who had been so interested in her cave. The one who had come there to grieve over the loss of his grandmother. She had enjoyed scaring the living daylights out of him that day when he fell asleep at school. He had looked so cute!  
  
Her orange energy bolts and energy sword, summoned at a moments notice, coupled with her abilities to fly, pass though solid objects and project herself pretty much anywhere had meant he would have been dead if she had really tried to kill him. His winning their duel had been quite a surprise. Of course, she hadn't planned on him having the Tenchi-ken, the Juraian tree control key that shared his name. As a weapon it was an energy sword with the power to absorb her power gems. Naturally it had already had all three of them, but he simply destroyed one of her substitutes. Lucky she had persuaded him to give her back one of the real ones when Ayeka had turned up!  
  
As she remembered she felt herself slip towards sleep. She looked up at the clouds that had started to gather. She wanted to stay there on the roof. It was too much effort to teleport herself to her beam inside and it was nice out there. And besides, the man on the television said it wouldn't rain today. She knew it was just a guess, since climate control hadn't yet been invented on this planet, but that was OK. If he was wrong she would just break his legs. Well, maybe just his thumbs.  
  
Ah, screw it, she thought, I'd have to find him anyway and it's just not worth it. I'd rather stay here.  
  
Then the space pirate Ryoko was asleep.  
  
***  
  
Ryo-ohki slept.  
  
She dreamt she was helping Tenchi in the fields tending the carrots they had been growing for her. She dreamt she was helping Sasami in the kitchen making everybody's meals. She dreamt she and Ryoko were flying through space, having fun whilst avoiding the Galaxy Police, bounty hunters and all the other enemies they had made or found. Since she had heard about something called Statute of Limitations she had been told the GP didn't want them any more though, which she supposed was good considering two of them were living in the town and often came to visit.  
  
Technically there was a very good reason she wanted to help everybody. She was genetically predisposed to be deferential. Washu had created her as a companion and helper for Ryoko, and to be her ship, one of her original forms. In fact they shared the same life base, the Masu. Ryoko was even linked to her mind, so she could always find her and understand exactly what she said.  
  
Even though she could now take humanoid form, thanks to the additional Masu that she had absorbed when they escaped Washu's lab, she still couldn't speak much. She had tried to learn but found it very hard work. Since everyone pretty well knew what she would want or intend anyway she hadn't tried much after her initial attempts, hoping she would pick it up eventually if she needed it.  
  
She did like the form though. As an animal they treated her like a pet. She liked the attention, and found it very useful being so small but she also liked being treated like a person. So she spent a lot of her time in the form of a young child. She hadn't tried to look like an adult since she first became able. She wanted to be able to walk and act without falling or making a fool of herself before she did that. It was important to her.  
  
In those forms she looked very human except that she was covered in short brown fur like her natural animal fur with two large streaks of blue tinted white in the long thick hair on her head. Like Ryoko, her fangs were slightly elongated, but her face was very human. In fact, as an adult she had looked stunning.  
  
And as an animal, well, she was the embodiment of cute. Somewhere between a small cat and rabbit (hence Washu's christening of her species: the cabbit) she would be small enough to sit comfortably in a person's cupped hands, or on Sasami's head, as she often did.  
  
But for now Ryo-ohki slept.  
  
If she hadn't though, she would have noticed that the two members of Juraian royalty whose room she shared were nowhere to be seen.  
  
***  
  
Out in the woods, the goddess Tsunami felt strange. It was calming. She didn't feel the need to do anything. Just appreciating existing was enough.  
  
Recently she had spent more and more time in her humanoid form. True, she was just an arrangement of energy that looked human, but she could interact with the others around her, and she had begun to enjoy it. All thanks to one little girl.  
  
This girl had been the one to initiate the change in the goddess. Previously, she had been embodied in a single tree. This tree had been imbibed with her power, as had its children, and its children's children. They were the trees of Jurai, whose waters extended the lives of the people. Each bonded with a person to protect and power their ship. They were, if you will, the ship's heart.  
  
This girl had changed that. The trees remained, as did their power, but as this girl lay dying in front of her and her blood mixed with her own water, she decided she did not want this life to end. So she channelled herself into the child, healing her, and the two life forms shared themselves with each other.  
  
From that point onward Tsunami knew what it was to have truly human feeling. Just a little at first. The happiness of saving the girl, the desire to protect her, and the sadness of knowing one day she would have to leave her trees because of what she had done. She would become this girl's ship. There was no other choice she wanted to consider. As time progressed she understood more of what humans felt, but she was not one of them.  
  
When she wanted to appear as a human she was the embodiment of what that girl would be as an adult. Long flowing blue hair, beautiful pink eyes, and an unassuming yet comely figure. Sasami would indeed grow to be an enchanting sight. However, she only thought of herself as Tsunami's creation. She thought the real Sasami had died. She would understand in time. And when that time came, they would become one. Quite how or when even the goddess didn't know, only that it would be when Sasami was ready, as there are some things a child cannot cope with. Becoming one with a goddess is one of them.  
  
Tsunami had power. But it was not an active power. She could influence things to happen over time, throughout the many levels of the universe. Her role was to watch, to observe, and to guide. With power must come this discipline to know how, and more specifically how not, to use it. That had been Yuzuha's mistake.  
  
But some things must be. When the boy Tenchi lay dying in deep space she had told Sasami and together they had helped heal him, rebuild his broken body, and at that time give him a gift. She needed someone to aid her. As she had planned, he was it.  
  
She had given him the power to create and control the Light Hawk Wings. The power of the Juraian military and royal fleets and one of the most powerful defensive forces known to these beings. They were blades of her power manifested to deflect and absorb both energy and matter. Tenchi, like the ships of Jurai, could create these 'wings'. They formed his armour and sword. But they could only be used when they were needed. Power does strange things to people, so she had made sure he knew he could create them, just not any time he wanted.  
  
Though no longer physically a tree, as that form had been lost when Ayeka and Sasami had crashed on Earth, she was still a ship. The one who had gone to Tenchi in deep space. But, being who and what she was, she herself physically created and became the ship, unlike her children, who were planted inside the craft they powered.  
  
Rather like Ryo-ohki, she mused as her mind drifted.  
  
She smiled as she closed her eyes and lay down at the lake under the stars, beneath the boughs of Funaho, the tree of Katsuhito's now destroyed ship, named after his mother.  
  
For one of the few times in her long existence, she slept.  
  
***  
  
Deep in a sub-pocked of multi-dimensional reality the universe's greatest scientist was taking one of her very few breaks from consciousness.  
  
It had been a good day for her too.  
  
She had just finished her latest experiment and it had taken two and a half long weeks. To Washu, that was more than an age. True, she didn't really have to worry about time. She was 20,000 years old and didn't have any intention of slowing down, but with her brain power and the technology at her disposal very few experiments of hers lasted more than two weeks.  
  
Except Mihoshi, that is.  
  
That one had her stumped. Mihoshi could get into the most secret, protected areas of her lab without even trying, and mostly by accident it seemed. And with her luck, abilities, or whatever it was, having Mihoshi in her lab wasn't something she liked. Things tended to blow up, collapse, or otherwise just fail when she got clutsy or fidgeting. In fact once she had accidentally solved a problem the scientist had been working on, on and off, for almost a two week stretch. Unfortunately she had also managed to delete the record of how she had done it!  
  
Ahhhhrrrrgggghhhh! How Mihoshi managed to do anything she did was a compete mystery.  
  
But one for another day. Right now she dreamed of what her latest project had told her. She was definitely a power to be reckoned with. True, she knew that, and her intellect was something she wasn't shy about proclaiming. In fact she could be quite pretentious about it. But this was different. It was the reason she had recognised Tsunami when she had first appeared. The reason she had many of the powers she had. Maybe even the reason for her intellectual capacity.  
  
She didn't like it much, but it was true. That was probably the reason she had no memory of it. Memory could never be completely removed, so she could get it back, but she was the greatest scientist in the universe, and she trusted herself. If she had hidden it, it would be for a damn good reason and that was enough to prevent her from going digging.  
  
The only reason she had performed the test in the first place was to make sure that bastard Kagato hadn't done it to her whilst he had had her trapped in that crystal.  
  
But now she knew and was confident she didn't want to know more.  
  
After all, given what she could remember, it must be pretty damn bad. She could remember her student days, and what had been the most painful moment of her life.  
  
If this is what it's like to be an adult, she had thought, I would be happier as a child.  
  
So she had been. From that point on she had had the body of a twelve year old, and had developed a constantly happy, if rather self important, nature. Only on a couple of occasions had this broken down to reveal the tender, hurt person she had bottled up all those millennia, and the last time she did she had confronted it, and it had felt better. Not totally, but enough to be more at peace that she had been for a very long time.  
  
She could revert back to her adult form at will, as she had done briefly after that healing encounter with Taro. She looked much the same, but much taller, and with full hips and bust that could look quite alluring. In her usual body though, she aimed for the cute look. In fact her cuteness was something else she constantly reminded everyone of, to the point that they all had to call her Washu-chan if she were to be co- operative at all when she was in a less forgiving or thoughtful mood. Except Sasami. They were the same height, and she was really cute too, so there wasn't really much point!  
  
Mind you, her unusual eyes and hair did fit well with her brash outgoing image. Her red mane of hair certainly befitted her. It was spiky like Ryoko's but much longer and thicker, tapering almost to the ground. When she was doing something more physical though the longest of it would be wrapped up under the cloth she held it back with. Her eyes were emerald green, and they were one of the few pointers that gave away whether you would get away with a helpful suggestion, a hopelessly complicated lecture, or a statue over your head!  
  
She could summon her portable, semi-transparent laptop computer at will to work or create things, which she then pulled out of a sub space pocket that would open as she wished. It also seemed to double as a garbage disposer. She could also manipulate energy much like her daughter, though she rarely had cause to, much preferring intellectual combat, or a well-timed china tanuki on the head. Of course, to her it was simply science.  
  
She just wished Ryoko would acknowledge her as 'mother'. Sure, she had done so before, but only in sarcasm, and Washu did want to hear it sincerely, not having been there to raise her. She was genetically her daughter after all, even if the circumstances had been unusual. She had managed to hear it one night, but she did feel a bit guilty afterwards about the way she had coerced it.  
  
She had got it on tape though, so she could hear it if she felt the need, though she hadn't since Mayuka had arrived.  
  
Another baby in the house, and this time she could be there to care for it. And she would. Even at night if you were careful not to intrude she could be found watching over the child or being the one to go to her if she woke, not that she wanted the other seeing her like that. She was the universe's greatest scientific genius after all, and she had a reputation to keep.  
  
***  
  
Several miles away, First Class Detective Mihoshi of the Galaxy Police slept soundly in the apartment she and her partner shared.  
  
It was nice living there. They could go and see their friends at the shrine any time, they could catch the criminals who came into this restricted area of space to hide or smuggle things out of this primitive world, and they had enough free time to earn money to live on the planet. After all, living in their ship would get stuffy, and now there wasn't enough room at the house. She just wished Kiyone could like it as much as she did.  
  
Maybe it's because we don't have much money, she had thought the night before.  
  
They had been job-hopping ever since they had arrived all those months before. For some reason they just didn't seem to fit in well at work. Of course she had no illusions about the situation. She had managed to lose them every single one of the jobs they had been fired from. It wasn't through lack of trying. She couldn't have been more enthusiastic. It's just she didn't understand a lot of the details about why she had done something wrong. She did what they had told her to do, but she just had a tendency to make mistakes.  
  
Kiyone said that a lot. So did Washu. She tried her best, but it just, sort of happened.  
  
Becoming a GP officer had been the highlight of her life. Everyone at the academy had treated her like an accident waiting to happen, but she passed with the best overall score in the last century. Flying colours.  
  
But she did have trouble remembering the little fiddly things. Even though they told her she was a good officer, and she was a First Class Detective, things tended to go wrong somehow, even though they usually solved the case.  
  
She wished she could do something without people getting mad at her. She wanted people to be happy. That's why she had joined the GP in the first place. She was glad Kiyone was there. Even though she got mad, and shouted, and blamed her for being stuck on earth, she was still her friend. So were Sasami and Tenchi. They were always happy and friendly. That's why she liked Tenchi. He didn't call her stupid, and he made her feel better when she was upset.  
  
No, it wasn't too bad to be there. Officially they were lookouts to make sure the princesses were OK since they had caught the criminal they were after. She was glad they thought she and Kiyone were good enough for an important job like this. She just felt bad that Kiyone didn't get the promotion she wanted after they had got him. She was kind of glad too though, because she would really miss her if she left.  
  
She was still wearing the clothes she had been out in earlier that night, some leg hugging jeans and a loose yellow vest she had worn under a light jacket. Even laid out in bed it managed to show off her curvy figure quite well. If she hadn't kept her long wavy blonde hair in its ribbon it would have been everywhere. To the natives of the planet it looked a little odd considering her strong tan skin, and her bright blue eyes just emphasised the fact. Then again, she managed to turn quite a few heads, not that she noticed.  
  
It was just a characteristic of her race, as were the rather small teeth, slight fangs and slightly elongated pointed ears, the tops of which were always hidden in her loosely held hair. Which was a good thing considering they were trying to blend in. It wasn't planned, that's just the way it was.  
  
***  
  
In the futon next to the sleeping blonde's was her partner, Detective First Class Kiyone Makibi. She was still awake, as usual, though she could tell it wouldn't be for long.  
  
She let the small book drop onto her face. She was too tired for this hassle.  
  
However, while this hassle could wait, sleep deprivation leads to lack of co-ordination, both physically and mentally. The detective picked the book off her face and flicked it onto the table next to her. She ran two fingers down her right cheek. She looked at them.  
  
Typical, She thought. They were smudged with blue liquid.  
  
Just another feature of the ever primitive Planet Earth. She got up and headed for the kitchen area.  
  
Slow drying ink.  
  
She ran the tap above the sink, picked up some of the cold water and washed her cheek, removing the neat Japanese script that had been part of her finance list for next month.  
  
"I finished second in my graduating class at the academy. I did two years at the Clarrisen den run with 37 confirmed shutdowns."  
  
She was running sleepily through her exemplary career, looking for some reason why she was stuck on a sub-contact planet in a restricted Juraian preserve in the backwaters of the western spiral arm of the galaxy. She had known the reason before she had even started.  
  
Mihoshi.  
  
Since being partnered with Mihoshi her arrest record had gone up by 32%. Also, her expenditure costs had gone up by 450% percent. And her incidental damage reports had gone up by 920%. Things never used to blow up before. So, regardless of their effectiveness at solving cases, they were stuck out here, where they couldn't cause too much trouble. It also meant she had no prospects for career advancement. None at all.  
  
"And I was expected to be on my way to becoming field section chief by now," she lamented as she climbed into bed, not worrying whether her ranting woke Mihoshi. Very little could wake Mihoshi. That girl could sleep for her species.  
  
However, she had long given up worrying about her ailing career. If being involved in the destruction of Kagato and the arrest of Dr. Clay couldn't get her out of here nothing would, so now she concentrated on what she could do.  
  
They had their current jobs, which they had managed to keep for over a month with getting fired through Mihoshi's ditziness or being called out as Galaxy Police to give a speeding ticket or confiscate a pot of smuggled lilacs from someone who had 'forgotten' about the laws concerning extraterrestrial disease control and planetary ecosystem preservation.  
  
They had the Masaki's extended family who would always be good for a laugh, good meal, and some time away from their current worries.  
  
Must remember to go and help with the garden, she thought as she drifted of into her own inner dreamscape.  
  
And regardless of work, she did have fun when she was out with the other aliens. And Karaoke. The one activity in the universe that could completely relax her.  
  
So why did she still remind herself what she could have been if things had been different? Well, Mihoshi often said too much stress is bad for you. It's good to vent your spleen every now and then, get everything off your chest, and preferably so that it didn't upset the carefree blonde. She could really put on the waterworks when she wanted, and that was a real guilt trip.  
  
And anyway, Mihoshi was a *very* good Karaoke partner.  
  
***  
  
It was a bright sunny day as Tenchi awoke. It was almost 10 am. If he wanted breakfast he would have to get there fast, before he was called. That usually led to problems, whoever it was who fetched him. Except Sasami and Ryo-ohki of course, but even then Ryoko or Ayeka could get jealous that they weren't the ones to wake him. Ryoko might feel robbed and maybe angry, Ayeka would just look disappointed.  
  
Mechanically he got up and wandered out to the bathroom. Ryoko hadn't been there to watch him wake, so she and Ayeka would have met earlier and ended up fighting downstairs or outside about something or other. Tenchi wracked his brain as he urinated. Plenty to do today, as usual. And he would be back in the fields in a few hours.  
  
*Groan*.  
  
He was glad the others were around to help look after Mayuka, despite the trouble they caused. He hoped he would have enough time to be a proper father to his child. No, he would make the time.  
  
He went back to his room and got dressed, forgetting to tie the short, thin lock of black hair that fell just between his shoulder blades from his otherwise short cut hair.  
  
He wondered whether he should tell his father what he had decided. He wouldn't be very happy.  
  
It can wait till this evening, he thought as he wandered downstairs and into the kitchen.  
  
"Good morning Tenchi," said Sasami...  
  
"Good morning Tenchi," said Sasami...  
  
"Good morning Tenchi," Sasami didn't say.  
  
Tenchi snapped out of his supine routine. Sasami wasn't there. Neither was the breakfast she would usually leave if she were elsewhere. He couldn't hear the yells or, god forbid, explosions of Ryoko and Ayeka's frequent morning scuffles.  
  
It was just him. His dad would sometimes leave early if he had a big project to work on, like he had been doing the past few days, and his Grandfather lived up at the shrine so he rarely saw him at meals. Washu, despite spending more time out of her lab, due in part to Mayuka's unexpected arrival, would still often have to be fetched away from her computer if she were to join in with family meals.  
  
But there was no one. It was definitely wrong.  
  
He looked outside. For the first time since the flurry of snow at Christmas it was overcast and he could hear the rumbles of thunder in the distance over the mountain. He had even taken the weather for granted. Suddenly Tenchi felt very scared.  
  
***  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
---------------  
  
Author's Notes: Not much to add as it is just the intro, but a few more continuity notes for those as want them. It would follow much like the OAV but:  
  
Mihoshi came down on Ayeka and Sasami's distress beacon after their crash.  
  
Kagato appeared twice; Once to assess the situation (a scientist always does) during which Mihoshi freed Washu, and once to capture Ryoko. The battle and his ambitions were as in the OAV. The TV Earth based stand-alone episodes happened in between the two.  
  
Kiyone arrived tailing Kagato when he first appeared.  
  
The TV space based stand-alone episodes happened during a vacation they all took. Who wouldn't want to have a holiday on another planet, huh? Unfortunately there is a case of mistaken identity that leads to them all being wanted criminals. They are cleared by the GP (galaxy police) after they find the real criminals. (Yes I made this up myself, so sue me. Actually, please don't. I'm usually broke anyway. I have an anime habit to feed you know!)  
  
The second OAV series happened after all that (though naturally including Kiyone).  
  
Then came Manatsu no Eve. (Whoever came up with the English title 'Daughter of Darkness' should have their head examined. We know that as we watch it but you don't need to spell it out before we've even sat down!). It included Tsunami this time though. She couldn't go to the 'realm of darkness' but gives Ayeka the idea of taking a piece of the tree Funaho. Plus Katsuhito uses the Tenchi-ken to take a swipe at Yuzuha. I think in the film he summoned an energy blade / Light Hawk Sword.  
  
The Tenchi Muyo In Love and Tenchi Forever Movies have never happened. Neither has Tenchi in Tokyo (Shin Tenchi Muyo).  
  
Yes, I know I'm messing with the formula a bit, but I would have thought that Manatsu no Eve would have it's own continuity, so there it is.  
  
***  
  
Translation Notes: -san: Translated as Mr. or Miss. And so on. Can be used for both family and personal names.  
  
-chan: Diminutive honorific. The closest English speakers have is 'little' or 'li'l'. Used for children, *very* close friends or lovers.  
  
-sama: Formal honorific. Translated as 'Lord' or 'Lady'. Very respectful.  
  
-dono: Also translated as 'Lord' or 'Lady' but I don't know the specifics of this one. I'm guessing it is a bit less formal than '- sama'.  
  
-sensei: Translates as teacher or professor.  
  
Onee-sama / Onee-chan: Meaning 'sister'. The '-sama' variation is 'big sister' and the '-chan' one is 'little sister' (with more respect in the big sister version).  
  
Onii-sama / Onii-chan: As above but meaning brother. Sasami uses the '-chan' variations of both for the family because she is young / being cute / because they are all close family to her.  
  
(They can also be used without the 'O' at the beginning when placed after someone's name, signifying that that person is their 'brother' or 'sister'. Sasami uses this for the family she is not immediately related to such as Tenchi and those she considers family like Ryoko. Ie. Tenchi nii-chan)  
  
-ken: The name attached is the name of a sword. The Tenchi-ken is the 'Sword Tenchi'. I've heard other translations and can't be sure, but this is what it means here!  
  
Onsen: A public or communal bath. It is associated with a hot spring.  
  
Sake: Japanese rice wine.  
  
Futon: A bed lying on the floor as opposed to raised up like western beds.  
  
Tanuki: Smallish Japanese mammal similar to a raccoon (I think). Tanuki statues are often placed outside shops for good luck.  
  
Karaoke: Popular pastime. Music is played (usually along with lyrics to read) and you sing the song yourself.  
  
***  
  
Completed: Sometime in September 2002  
  
Fanfiction.net revised format version: March 10th - 2003 


	2. Peace and Quiet?

Before we start let's get one thing straight: Tenchi Muyo and everything that officially comprises it is owned by AIC and Pioneer. This is unofficial and the story and original characters I create belong to me, so I'd be grateful if you ask before using them in something else. Please, PLEASE don't sue me. I'm only doing this for fun!  
  
***  
  
Faith, Hope & Carrot Soup  
  
- A Tenchi Muyo Fan-Fiction By Nutzoide -  
  
Chapter 1: Peace and Quiet?  
  
Tenchi darted into the living room, his eyes scanning for some clue as to the whereabouts of the others.  
  
Don't panic yet Tenchi, get a grip, he thought as he tried to find some scrap of proof that the others were around, or at least all right.  
  
Alright, so they haven't left a note. They probably just forgot to tell me they were going out... No special dates today? He looked over at the calendar. No, OK. Mayuka!  
  
The worried teen ran over to the cot in the corner of the room, an unpleasantly familiar crawling sensation rising in his stomach. Usually one of the girls would have her in the mornings, and if they were gone...  
  
NO! Oh HELL! His mind screamed at him as he looked down at his infant's empty crib. Wait, wait. Don't panic yet. She's wherever they are, so she'll be okay.  
  
As he stepped back and his foot slipped from under him. He gave a growl of pain, wincing as his backside took the force of the impact with the wooden floor, and looked over at the cause of his fall. It was a half eaten carrot.  
  
Tenchi panicked and ran to his room.  
  
***  
  
A few minutes walk from the house the battle had finally begun. Each side faced off over the wooden decking, each determined to be the victor. The first swing was made.  
  
Washu was monitoring the situation carefully. One false move and the result could be catastrophic. She looked at each fighter, praying that the battle could be won quickly.  
  
Sasami was holding Mayuka tightly protecting her from any debris with as good an energy shield as she could create.  
  
With an almighty lurch the roof gave way. Ryoko and Ayeka looked at each other with terrified expressions. They each managed a strangled scream before they were engulfed in the falling timber as the entire right side of the roof fell apart.  
  
***  
  
Tenchi came down the stairs as fast as he could. He missed the last step and came crashing to the floor, his lip splitting as it made contact with the polished wood.  
  
His mind didn't even register the pain as he scrambled to his feet. It was something big if it could tear Ryo-ohki away halfway though a carrot. He managed to stop himself just in time to open the glass door before careering out onto the grass, the Tenchi-ken grasped in his hand, as though if he held hard enough it might lead him to them.  
  
All he could hear now was the blood pumping in his ears as he looked frantically around for some clue as to where they might be.  
  
Over to his left, just in the trees by the wooded path that led up to the rear of the Masaki Shrine, he saw what he was looking for. The rising cloud was faint, but it was still there. He ran like a man possessed.  
  
***  
  
In less that a minute he reached the small path-side clearing. He had seen many things since the girls had arrived in his life, but this was by far the strangest.  
  
Ryoko and Ayeka. Covered in dust. Writhing around on top of each other!  
  
Washu and Sasami were rolling around in fits of laughter with Mayuka looking fascinated at the spectacle from Sasami's arms. Ryo- ohki was in her toddler form and was running around giggling and removing the debris from the pair as they disentangled themselves, all the while glowering at each other.  
  
His father and grandfather were kneeling on the left side of the roof nailing it down while Azaka and Kamidake seemed to be manoeuvring the planks Ryo-ohki passed them back onto the right side using their force fields. They too were covered in dust and dirt.  
  
And in the middle of all this was a shed. One side was taller than the other, the roof was a bit lop-sided and the door and its frame, though fitting together perfectly, were definitely not rectangular. It was rather like something out of one of those weird American Tim Burton films he had seen. But it *was* a shed.  
  
Tenchi tucked the Tenchi-ken into his pocket and scratched his head. He felt relieved. He also felt like a complete prat.  
  
Washu caught sight of him as she tried to calm herself.  
  
"Ah, he he, Tenchi-dono. I was wondering when you'd be coming round."  
  
Tenchi decided he might as well find out what was going on, and whether it would end up causing him any trouble. Just having the girls there was trouble enough.  
  
"Umm... Washu-chan?" he asked cautiously, "What's going on here? What is that?"  
  
Washu turned on her cute charm and said, "It's a shed Tenchi!"  
  
Tenchi just looked at her with an expression that said 'You know very well what I mean!'  
  
The diminutive scientist giggled and got back to her usual self. "More specifically, it's *your* shed Tenchi."  
  
"Washu," he started, "we already have a shed. You know, the one halfway up this path."  
  
"No," she replied, "this is *your* shed. That old thing up there is fine for all that stuff for the shrine. *This* is for your carrot fields." She beamed at him.  
  
Tenchi just looked puzzled at this. "Umm, Washu-chan, the fields are a good five or ten minute walk. In *that* direction." he said, pointing back towards the house.  
  
"Hey, that's what *I* said," said Ryoko as she finished extricating herself from the piles of wood and nails and sidled up to the pair. "But, well, you know her! And besides," she whispered to him, "you know I only did it for you, hmmm?"  
  
"Ryoko-san! He's only been here two minutes and you're already starting with him! As if Tenchi-sama didn't have enough to do without having to keep you at bay." Ayeka, a royal Juraian mass of cuts and bruises thanks to her premature burial, stormed up to the ex-pirate. "And I would have thought fishing for compliments like that would be beneath even you. Evidently you can't even think of helping Tenchi-sama for his sake like the rest of us. *Noooo*, you have to collapse the roof too!"  
  
The indignant Ryoko was fed up with this. "Who are you to say that. You swung at me with the plank!"  
  
"Only because you couldn't be bothered to line up Washu's containment sensors correctly!" Ayeka retorted. "You heard what would happen if that temporal duality... thing went wrong."  
  
"Well if you hadn't been so slow laying the boarding I could have had them in the right place *AGES* ago!" Ryoko yelled back.  
  
Tenchi and Washu could see where this was going and decided to leave them to it. They wandered over to Sasami and Mayuka while the other two bickered.  
  
"Hi girls. You okay?"  
  
"Good morning Tenchi nii-chan. We're fine, aren't we Mayuka- chan?" Sasami lifted the baby up, who giggled riotously (or at least a riotously as a baby can). They all smiled as Sasami handed her over to her father. "I've got some breakfast if you want it."  
  
"Thanks Sasami-chan," he said as he took his daughter, "but I think I'd better help Dad and Grandpa."  
  
"Ah nonsense," Washu said as she picked up her own breakfast box. "Those old guys are nearly done."  
  
"And anyway, we did it to help you Onii-chan. And we're all going to help you in the fields too."  
  
Tenchi smiled. "Thanks Sasami-chan. All that weeding make a lot of work."  
  
"And that's why I, Washu, the greatest agricultural genius in the universe, have made this!" Washu plucked a bottle out of her subspace hole and held it up. "Washu's multi-purpose weed killer and salad dressing!"  
  
Sasami and Tenchi just stared at her. Mayuka decided it was time for a nap.  
  
"I just hope weeds are all it kills," was Tenchi's only comment.  
  
Washu cracked a huge grin. "Of course. In fact, it brings out the flavour of the carrots too. That's why it's a salad dressing as well."  
  
"Wow, Washu, that's great!" said Sasami, obviously exited.  
  
"Naturally," came Washu's fairly typical reply. "Well, actually those are the only things I know it does so far, but I'm sure there's more, otherwise I'd have called it dual-purpose. Don't worry though. I'll find them out eventually."  
  
Tenchi and Sasami sweatdropped as Washu sprinkled some of the oily red liquid over her breakfast, then started shovelling the new 'delicacy' in.  
  
On the roof the two men had finished their work and climbed down. Actually, since the ladder had long since fallen over, Katsuhito jumped down with his usual grace, and Nobuyuki clambered off backwards with very little grace indeed, but at least he landed on his feet.  
  
"Okay Washu-chan, we're done," called Nobuyuki. "I'd better get back to my work. Thanks to my little granddaughter there I've manage to do nothing for the last three days."  
  
"Aa, hank ou Ohuhuki-dono," was Washu's reply though a mouthful of red rice.  
  
"And I should be getting back to the shrine," added Katsuhito, leaving before anyone could comment.  
  
"Washu," Tenchi said turning to her, "you still haven't said why you decided we needed a new shed here, and why it looks like that."  
  
"I'll explain when we get back to the house and I can activate it. And you can put little sleeping beauty to bed."  
  
Sasami gathered up the remains of their meals and headed off with the others, Tenchi cradling Mayuka and Washu wondering the best way to explain temporal translocation theory within bilateral dimension inlets so that the human mind could understand.  
  
***  
  
Ayeka and Ryoko looked at each other.  
  
The princess now had a few more bruises to add to herself from the fall and was aching or stinging pretty much everywhere. A small trickle of blood seeped from the back of her left hand where a nail had caught it rather badly when she had landed.  
  
Ryoko was now covered in little black burn marks and was smoking slightly. Her hair stuck out more than usual and in a variety of directions. This fight had landed her a good hit from one of Ayeka's electricity fields.  
  
"I need a bath," said Ryoko wearily.  
  
"Me too," replied Ayeka.  
  
They headed off to have a good soak in the onsen that floated above the Masaki grounds. Meanwhile, back at the new shed, the two Juraian guardians watch as the others wandered back to the house.  
  
"I wonder why we always get left out?" said Kamidake as he finished pushing in the last nail on the roof with his foot pod.  
  
"We are only servants," replied Azaka, "although a little recognition every now and then would be nice."  
  
Kamidake thought for a moment. "Well, at least we don't have to weed."  
  
"True, true," replied his consanguine compatriot.  
  
The two huge logs floated down and back to the gate of the Masaki residence, discussing what it meant to be an organically based artificially intelligent life form. They always had plenty of time for philosophy. There wasn't much else to do.  
  
***  
  
Down in the town, something teal stirred in its futon.  
  
"Ah, good morning sleepy-head," said Mihoshi as she wandered back into the main room.  
  
The teal hair parted as Kiyone slowly sat up and gave a yawn. She felt groggy as hell, but at least it was a good well slept groggy. Most mornings were a nightmare for her.  
  
"Morning... Mihoshi," Kiyone managed as she focused back into the world. "What time is it?"  
  
"Umm... It's about ten thirty I think," she replied, evidently as awake and energetic as she could get, which was quite a bit. "Did you sleep well? You were still up when I went to bed you know."  
  
Kiyone got up and stretched. "Yeah, eventually. I haven't slept that well in weeks."  
  
She headed off into the kitchen for some coffee.  
  
"Have we got any bills left over? I've almost finished the... DID YOU SAY TEN THIRTY?!?"  
  
Mihoshi looked up from the left over post towards the kitchen. "Yes, I did, but it's more like ten thirty five now."  
  
Oh that's right, the blonde thought, this watch is a bit fast. I'll have to remember that next time. Just like the last time. And all the last times for the past three days.  
  
I'd better let Kiyone know. She would probably think it's important if she yelled like that.  
  
"Err, Kiyone, I just remembered. It will actually be ten twenty because..."  
  
Kiyone cut her off. "Never mind Mihoshi! Just get dressed, we're already late!" She flew back into the room (not literally, unlike Ryoko she couldn't do that) fumbling with her bra strap while trying to put on her socks using just her toes.  
  
Mihoshi couldn't understand that. She was already dressed. Although she reasoned she should probably change since she slept in them. She stripped off and pulled on a sweatshirt and baggy trousers while Kiyone fought with her jeans.  
  
"Kiyone? How are we late?" Mihoshi asked genuinely puzzled. "We don't work on Sunday remember? And we don't have patrol 'till this evening."  
  
Kiyone didn't have time for a debate on logic with her. How could she have forgotten to set her alarm? Simple, she'd been knackered.  
  
"We were supposed to be helping Washu remember?" Naturally Mihoshi's memory needed jogging. "Try and get that shed built before he gets up. Plus Tenchi asked if we could help in the fields since he's got to weed before he plants the next crop."  
  
"Oh yeah!" Mihoshi beamed as she remembered and started packing away their futons. "That was a really nice idea you know? And since we moved out we haven't really helped them out as much so it's kind of like a thank you isn't it? And I havn't seen them all week because we've been so busy..."  
  
She paused. Tenchi always slept heavily. She remembered that from she when she tripped over him when he fell asleep in front of the TV. She thought it was really funny how he didn't wake up then even when she fell into his lap. But he *did* get up by the time Sasami had finished making breakfast. Because Sasami always made breakfast around the same time (which was late enough for Ryoko to be up but early enough so she wasn't hungry herself) everyone was used to getting up for that time. It was routine, like when Kiyone and she went on patrol. And that would mean...  
  
"Umm... Kiyone? Won't Tenchi be up by now?"  
  
"That's why we're late Mihoshi!"  
  
Mihoshi was confused. "Then... why were you still sleep Kiyone?"  
  
"Because I overslept! I forgot to set my alarm clock! My partner didn't remember and wake me up! Okay?"  
  
To Mihoshi all three made perfect sense.  
  
"Oh. Okay, but next time you shou-woooeeeaaah!" she cried as Kiyone grabbed her wrist and dragged her out of the apartment.  
  
Kiyone locked the door and started off towards the Masaki's place. Better to get going before Mihoshi managed to dig herself even further into her nerves.  
  
***  
  
Tenchi finished tucking his daughter into her crib and headed off to find Washu, resigned to another long lecture he had no hope of understanding.  
  
He headed through the door under the stairs and into the vast space that was Washu's laboratory. The oval decking was bare except for a large floating computer bank. No Washu. He headed off through the grass below and through the soon-appearing door, only to find himself in the massive aquarium that served as a relaxation centre for its owner. But no Washu. Back through the door and he was standing in the beautiful Juraian-style room that housed the growing Ryu-oh. A wooden circle sat at the centre of the room, a circular patterning of water channels leading to the tree. No Washu. Back through the door and into the little room full of wires and straps and monitors and lights. He suppressed a mental shudder. If she was in here he didn't want to find her.  
  
He soon found himself back at the entrance deck, wondering whether he should try one of the other doors. This one seemed to take him everywhere except where he wanted to go. He almost jumped out of skin when the voice broke into his thoughts.  
  
"Ah, Tenchi-dono. Where have you been?"  
  
It was Washu.  
  
Tenchi decided telling her that her door took him on a whirlwind tour of sub-space wasn't a good strategy. "Oh, I just got here. You said you would tell me about that shed?"  
  
"Oh yes, of course. Follow me." She headed in the door that Tenchi had just left. He followed, not looking forward to Washu discovering one of her doors didn't work right. When he found himself in the small 'lecture theatre' he decided to file it under 'weird space type things' and sat down in one of the school desks that suddenly popped out of the solid stone floor. Sasami gave him a sympathetic look and they settled down for the talk.  
  
Washu strolled back in wearing her full Science Academy garb and rolled down the screen.  
  
"Now Tenchi, and Sasami, the purpose of this shed," up came a picture of said shed, "is to facilitate the saving of both time and energy when travelling between the house," picture of their house, "and the fields." A picture of the fields popped up. Both Tenchi and Sasami nodded.  
  
"This is made possible because the shed incorporates my latest, and smallest, spatial transference emitters. Because the shed exists both in temporal space and..." Sasami shot her hand up.  
  
"Yes Sasami-chan."  
  
"Washu-sensei, what is a spatial tans... thingy emitter?"  
  
"Right, good question. A spatial transference emitter is a device that allows an object to pass from a point in space to a point in sub-space by passing through the field it creates." At Sasami and Tenchi's nod she continued.  
  
"Because the shed exists both in temporal, or real space, and sub-space it allows you to move from point A, the shed you saw, to sub- space, and then on to point B, the shed I put up at the carrot fields." An image came up showing a shed split down the middle with a lot of arrows, notes and little chibi-Washus.  
  
This time Tenchi raised his hand. "So it's like your doors here then. I go in at this end and when I come out I'm somewhere else."  
  
Washu beamed. "Yes exactly, but these doors will only go to one place, instead of wherever you want to go. My lab doors hover between real space and sub-space, so you only need the one to go anywhere in the lab. I thought that might freak out some of the less sub-spatially aware members of the household though, so in the shed the doors are anchored. One door will go from here to the shed and back, the other from the shed to the carrot fields and back." She beamed again, silently congratulating herself for the amazingly user friendly design of it all.  
  
Sasami tentatively raised her hand again.  
  
"Yes Sasami-chan?"  
  
"Umm, Washu-sensei? There is only one door in the shed."  
  
"What?"  
  
"When we made the shed, there was only one door."  
  
Washu looked at the blue haired girl for a second. Hmmm. This could be a problem.  
  
She quickly ducked behind her podium and came out with armfuls of schematics. As she poured over them looking for such an obvious mistake Sasami and Tenchi looked over at each other and shrugged.  
  
***  
  
While the greatest scientific genius in the universe was trying to live up to her title Ayeka and Ryoko were taking a soak in the onsen.  
  
Ryoko lay floating by one of the waterfalls the multi layered baths created, only her face visible above the water, a small dish of sake balanced between her submerged breasts. She let out a sigh. Life is good, was the only thought she could summon at the moment.  
  
"It is rather pleasant isn't it?" Ayeka's voice drifted across the water.  
  
"Mmm hmmm."  
  
"... Could you pass the sake please?"  
  
Ryoko cracked open her eyes. She hooked her toe under the rim of the requested wash bucket and pushed it over to the reclining princess, who stopped it with her right hand. Ryoko smiled as she set a dish in the water and tried to pour one handed, her left held floating in front of her.  
  
"You know, Washu should probably see to that. You wouldn't want it to blemish that oh so beautiful skin of yours."  
  
"True," Ayeka replied, blatantly ignoring the sarcasm in her companion's voice, "such beautiful skin requires care you know."  
  
Ryoko laughed. "Tsunami knows you need every advantage you can get!"  
  
Ayeka didn't rise to it. "It is nice that I really do have Tsunami on my side." She took a sip of her sake.  
  
This brought Ryoko up short. She had never been good at wordplay. Time to let this one go I think.  
  
"I wonder if she'll be here for lunch again."  
  
Ayeka didn't miss the change of subject, and was honestly grateful for it. She didn't feel up to another scuffle. "It would be nice."  
  
"..." Ryoko didn't really know what to say to that, so she lay back and closed her eyes again. It surprised her a little when Ayeka spoke again.  
  
"I think I'm going to have to take Washu's bait though."  
  
"Huh?" came the puzzled response as Ryoko sat up again, this time spilling her sake down her stomach.  
  
Ayeka chuckled. Once again poor Ryoko had missed the thread. "Washu. I'm going to have to get her to explain this business with the shed. It does seem a little strange don't you think?"  
  
"Everything with Washu is strange. I guess an explanation wouldn't hurt though. I don't want Tenchi sent off somewhere weird."  
  
Ayeka agreed. "Yes, but at least you got to follow him last time."  
  
Ryoko dipped herself under the water, rinsing off the alcohol. "Believe me, you should be glad you just got to save the day. It was freaky. I'm glad the real Christmas wasn't like that."  
  
Ayeka just chuckled again. "Well, we did get Mayuka-chan out of it."  
  
Ryoko smiled. "I guess she is cute."  
  
"Of course she is. She is Tenchi-sama's."  
  
"Yeah." Ryoko leaned back against the side, a wistful smile on her face.  
  
They sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts. Eventually Ayeka rose and stepped out. "I think that is enough for me. I'm starting to prune."  
  
Ryoko smirked at the chance. "Like that makes any difference."  
  
Ayeka removed her bathing towel and began to dry herself. "Well you were a prune for centuries," she retorted, as annoyed at her slip as at Ryoko.  
  
Ryoko floated out of the water and over to her. "And just look at me now huh?" she said, showing off her very nude body.  
  
"Well, I don't think I have anything to worry about then, do I?" Ayeka had been prepared for Ryoko's exhibitionist act and expertly ignored her.  
  
Once again Ryoko had been beaten by herself. She decided that it was going to be one of those days and set about drying herself with vigour. Ayeka put on the various layers of her outfit as Ryoko phased slightly, re-appearing fully clothed in an instant, synthetic tail twitching. She liked this outfit for those days full of little annoyances.  
  
One annoyance in question was pulling her hair out of it's pouch, letting the two long purple tresses fall nearly to the ground. Ayeka checked her clothing, making sure she was presentable again before heading for the door, followed by Ryoko.  
  
***  
  
"So you see because the sub-space room has two exits, each shed created in real space only needs one, since they and the structure in sub-space are not actually the same building." Washu took a long breath.  
  
"Okay, so the sub-space building could be anything, of any size, and still work the same."  
  
"Yes, that's right Tenchi."  
  
Tenchi had it sussed. His last question would completely floor the genius, and it would be worth it for the look on her face.  
  
"Right, so why not just make a pair of doors. Why a whole shed?"  
  
"What would it looks like if you suddenly appeared out of thin air in the middle of the fields? And a single door just standing there?"  
  
"Ah. Of course."  
  
"And you can store stuff in it too!"  
  
Sasami giggled. "I have to start on the lunch now."  
  
Washu clapped her hands and the desks, podium and screen all vanished back from whence they came. "Well, I'll finish testing out that weed killer then. Come on."  
  
They headed out of the room and back to the main entrance of Washu's lab. As they stepped though to the hallway of the Masaki house Tenchi managed to bump into Ayeka.  
  
"Oh! Ayeka-san. I'm sorry."  
  
Ayeka regained her composure, trying to suppress the faint blush that rose on her cheeks. "No Tenchi-sama, it is my fault. Is Washu- san in there?"  
  
Washu peeked out from the door and got them all into the hall. "Ah, princess, what can I do for you?"  
  
Ayeka showed her her left hand. "I was wondering if you have anything for this. It is rather painful."  
  
As if to test the theory Washu gave the gash a poke eliciting a pained gasp from Ayeka.  
  
"Washu-chan!" Tenchi exclaimed.  
  
Washu ignored him and stuck her hand into the hole that appeared by her side. "I think I can help with that." She pulled out a white tube with her crab logo on the side. "Put some of that on and it'll heal in no time. I really must teach my daughter about how to treat dignitaries."  
  
"Stow it 'mom'," came Ryoko's reply  
  
"Actually Washu-chan," said Ayeka, "as hard as is to believe, for once this was not Ryoko's work. It happened during that little incident with the shed."  
  
"Yeah," seconded Ryoko, "and what's the deal with that anyway. You're not sending my Tenchi anywhere 'til you tell me how it works."  
  
"*Your* Tenchi?" came Ayeka's lightly menacing inquiry.  
  
"And you'd better make it so we can understand 'cos..." Ryoko was cut off by having a video tape pointed at her. She looked at Washu for an answer.  
  
"I'm not explaining it again, so I taped it for you. Enjoy!" Washu called as she headed back into her lab. Sasami took the opportunity to head off to the kitchen, and was soon humming as she prepared the meal.  
  
Tenchi headed off to persuade his grandfather to help with the fields. While most people would think such a request was harsh on an old man, most people did not know Katsuhito Masaki. He was as capable as he had ever been, and showed it. Especially during sword practice, in which he would repeatedly humiliate Tenchi into getting better, since Tenchi had no chance of beating him in a real sparring match. Despite the embarrassing and some times unusual training methods it did work, and he was definitely getting better. Now it was just a matter of getting the old man to help with the workload.  
  
Ayeka and Ryoko watched him leave then turned to each other.  
  
"I suppose we had better watch the tape," said the princess.  
  
Ryoko nodded and they headed in to living room.  
  
Just at that moment the front door opened revealing Mihoshi and Kiyone, both rather out of breath. Ryoko and Ayeka looked at them with raised eyebrows.  
  
Kiyone looked back at them. "We missed it, didn't we?" she said when she had caught her breath.  
  
"Yep," Ryoko replied. "All done and dusted."  
  
"Literally," quipped Ayeka.  
  
Kiyone hung her shoulders. Mihoshi, as always, had a positive take on the situation though. "Well, at least we can still help this afternoon, right?"  
  
"Yeah," said Kiyone take off her shoes. "Do you mind if I sit down?"  
  
"No, come on in," said Ryoko. "The dreaded Washu had given us this." She held up the tape. "I think you two had better watch it too."  
  
They all filtered into the room and Ryoko shoved in the tape. When it didn't explode she sat back down and hit play.  
  
"Now Tenchi, and Sasami, the purpose of this shed..."  
  
***  
  
It was, as usual when most everybody came to eat, quite crowded around the Masaki's table. In fact only Katsuhito was missing, having decided to dine up at the shrine. Of course Tenchi knew the real reason why his grandfather wasn't there. An hour ago he had come back down the long stairway that led to the shrine thoroughly at peace with the world. Several minutes later he had realised that his grandfather had, yet again, somehow managed to talk his way out of helping in the fields.  
  
"I don't get it," Tenchi griped as he helped himself to more rice. "I go up there with the perfect argument and he still manages to be the one who is right."  
  
"Mother Funaho is the same Tenchi-sama," said Ayeka. "It is absolutely impossible to win an argument with her."  
  
"'ats probably where he gets it from," said Ryoko through a mouthful of rice, and getting a glare from Ayeka for it.  
  
"Remember he has had a long time to practice," said Tsunami as she passed her empty cup to Sasami.  
  
Washu clacked her chopsticks against her bowl, getting everyone's attention, before swallowing. "Exactly. He has had his children and grandchildren to practice on. Probably all those stuffy guys in court too." She went back to the remains of her fish.  
  
Kiyone leaned back on her hands. "Ah, that was great as usual Sasami."  
  
"Mmm hmm. *gulp* It's really good," said Mihoshi as she finished off her last pieces of onion.  
  
"Thanks, but Tsunami helped too."  
  
"Well, thank you as well Tsunami," said Tenchi as he cleaned his bowl. Nobuyuki nodded, his bowl empty but mouth still full.  
  
Tsunami just smiled and began to gather the dishes.  
  
"Oh, there are some more vegetables left if anyone wants them. Onee-sama?" said Sasami as she offered the bowl round.  
  
"Not for me thank you," Ayeka replied.  
  
"Naw. I'm stuffed," said Ryoko.  
  
"Miyaaa!" cried Ryo-ohki.  
  
Sasami giggled and offered the bowl to the toddler, who carefully removed all the remaining carrots.  
  
Sasami looked back at her. "Of course. Anyone else?"  
  
Tenchi and Nobuyuki both shook their heads, followed by Kiyone.  
  
"No thank you. It was very nice though," said Mihoshi as she let herself fall backwards, thoroughly content.  
  
Washu slapped her hand on the table. "Don't worry Sasami. I won't let all that good fibre go to waste." She stuck in her chopsticks, managing to get all the leftovers in one go. "Vitamin C here we come!"  
  
After her theatrical last bite Washu took the rest of the dishes through to the two blue haired chefs and the others made themselves comfortable.  
  
"So Tenchi, what is it we'll be doing this afternoon?" said Kiyone as she picked her partner off the floor and guided her to the couch.  
  
"Well, we just need to clear the weeds so they don't get out of hand when we plant this next crop of carrots," Tenchi explained. "I'll show you what to do when we get up there."  
  
Washu popped her head round the door. "Oh Tenchi-dono."  
  
"Umm... Yes Washu-chan?" Tenchi felt a little worried by the playful lilt of her voice.  
  
Washu bounced into the room holding a chart. "I took the liberty of setting up a little work chart for us, so we know what we all have to do."  
  
Tenchi relaxed. "Oh that's great. Let's have a look."  
  
Washu spread the chart out on the table. It looked like a map of the carrot fields with lots of pictures of the participants, all as chibis.  
  
Nobuyuki looked at the map, then at his son, a tinge of guilt etching his features. "I'm sorry Tenchi but I'm afraid I'm going to have to bow out of this today. I still have work to have done by tomorrow."  
  
Tenchi felt a little disappointed but tried not to let it show. His father, despite his talent at his job, managed to get overworked enough as it was. "That's okay dad. I think we'll be able to manage."  
  
"Of course," chimed Washu. "I think Tsunami and Ryo-ohki will be able to manage their plot, right?" She looked at the humanoid cabbit.  
  
"Myia," Ryo-ohki said in confirmation, although she secretly wished she had been put with Sasami.  
  
"I'm sure we will be fine Washu," said Tsunami as she emerged from the kitchen.  
  
"-chan," Washu said beaming at the goddess.  
  
"I'm sure we will be fine Washu-chan," she acknowledged with light amusement.  
  
"Okay," said Tenchi, "Sasami and I will take these two plots, Mihoshi and Kiyone take these two..."  
  
"Roger," said Mihoshi in her business voice, giving Tenchi a salute.  
  
Tenchi smiled and nodded. "...Ayeka and Ryoko take these two. But no fighting."  
  
"Don't worry Tenchi-sama. Nothing untoward will happen," Ayeka said.  
  
"Yeah," Ryoko chipped in smiling, "we'll be good."  
  
Tenchi turned back to the map. "Tsunami and Ryo-ohki will take these two, and Washu these three. Three?"  
  
Washu smiled her 'I'm a genius and know it' smile. "I'm using my 'Washu's multi-purpose weed killer and salad dressing'. I just need a watering can. I won't even have get my fingers dirty."  
  
"Oh?" said Tenchi, puzzled.  
  
"Once they're dead it's all good fertiliser Tenchi."  
  
"I suppose. I guess this one with the skulls on is the unusable one."  
  
"Yep, and I think Tenchi would appreciate it if you didn't do the same thing this year Ryoko-chan!" Washu said pouring on the cuteness at the ex-pirate.  
  
Ryoko looked down at her lap. "I said I was sorry," she pouted. "I was only trying to help."  
  
"Energy manipulation is good for many things Ryoko, but crop farming isn't one of them." Washu knew she wouldn't make that mistake again, but a good dose of embarrassment would help send the message home.  
  
"I get it. No energy waves."  
  
Ayeka rose from her chair. "Well, since we all know what we are doing we should get started, correct? I'm sure we would all like to get finished before dark and it is supposed to rain this evening."  
  
"Yeah," Ryoko said as she floated to her feet. "Let's see if this shed of yours actually works, eh Washu? Oww. Hey what was that for."  
  
"My inventions *always* work," Washu said as she folded up her ruler.  
  
Ryoko followed the others, rubbing the back of her head. "Yeah, eventually." she mumbled.  
  
***  
  
As they reached the shed Washu opened the door and presented the inside of her latest masterpiece. "Each of you walk through, take a hoe, and walk out the door on the other side. Simple huh?"  
  
"Yes, simple," Ayeka said to herself, quietly wishing she hadn't been the first to arrive. She readied herself. After all, she thought, what could go wrong? The list she came up with didn't give her confidence. Knowing that Tenchi would help her if something did go wrong she stepped though the door.  
  
Kiyone stepped up to the door. She had a door like this in her apartment. She had used it to get to the Yagami plenty of times. Why should this be any different? Simple, this rather extended family had a habit of finding trouble, especially when Washu's machines were concerned. Oh well, here goes nothing. Kiyone stepped through the door.  
  
Mihoshi was next up. "See you soon everyone!" She waved at the remaining group. After all, Washu's inventions always worked, and even if they didn't they always managed to get fixed and no one ever got hurt or anything. I wonder why Kiyone hesitated, she thought to herself. What if I do something wrong though, and it doesn't work right, or blows up, or makes hundreds of little me's that run around anywhere? Well, Washu said it was okay, so it'll be alright. She stepped through the door.  
  
Ryoko touched down in front of the door. Maybe flying through it wasn't a great idea. Just follow the instructions, don't use my powers, and kill Washu if anything goes wrong. She turned to the diminutive scientist. "If this thing sends me to Palishia you are so dead."  
  
Washu just smiled at her. Ryoko frowned, braced herself, and stepped through the door.  
  
Sasami looked up at Washu, the now animal sized Ryo-ohki doing the same from her arms. "Umm, Washu? This is safe, isn't it?"  
  
Washu smiled as the young girl. "Of course, you don't think the great Washu would sent you through without testing it first would you?"  
  
Sasami smiled back and shook her head. "No, you're right, I'm being silly huh? Thanks Washu."  
  
"No worries kiddo," said Washu as the young princess stepped though.  
  
Tsunami walked up to Washu. "Of course you did test it." Tsunami looked down smiling lightly at the scientist.  
  
Washu brought her hands behind her back and scuffed her foot in the ground. "You don't trust me Tsunami?" she asked in her cutest voice. "I'm hurt."  
  
Tsunami just smiled a knowing smile and stepped through the door, knowing it would work. Probably. Nothing was certain with Washu. It would be interesting whatever happened.  
  
Finally Tenchi stepped up to the shed. It seemed such a small thing. A rather simple, if twisted, shed. But it always seemed to be the little things that caused the big changes in his life. You know Tenchi, thinking like that is asking for trouble. The others had seemed nervous but they had gone, so through he would go.  
  
"Come on Tenchi-dono. I'm not that bad." Washu was smiling at him.  
  
He chuckled at his own uncertainty. "No, I guess not."  
  
Washu winked at him. "Well, let's go see what happened to the others shall we?" She chuckled before stepping through the door.  
  
Tenchi shook his head, a bemused smile on his face as he stepped through after her.  
  
***  
  
Tenchi stepped through the door opposite and out of the shed having taken one of the hoes hanging on the wall. So far so good, he thought.  
  
He emerged in the carrot fields, by the tree he would eat under when working through lunch. He looked around to see everyone standing about, each with a hoe in hand.  
  
He turned to see the place he had emerged from. It was an exact mirror image of the shed in the path clearing. He turned back to the others and smiled, returning the V signal that Washu and Sasami gave him.  
  
"Well," said Ryoko, who was wearing an unusually plain outfit she had created for this type of work, "that was anticlimactic."  
  
Everyone looked at her before breaking in laughter.  
  
***  
  
Several hours after their shed test drive everyone had moved onto the second of their plots.  
  
Forward, back, forward, back, lift and clear... Forward, back, forward, back, lift and clear... The mantra repeated itself in Ayeka's head, keeping her arms moving despite the emerging stiffness. Forward, back, forward, back, lift and clear... Forward, back, forward, back, lift and clear...  
  
Several meters away Ryoko was flying back and forth along the plot's edge skimming the hoe along the ground.  
  
"You know," she said, "this isn't that bad once you get into it."  
  
Ayeka looked up her, determined not to get envious at the ease with which Ryoko did her work. "Well you just keep at it then. It is nice to see you actually working for a change."  
  
"Don't be like that," Ryoko called as she made another pass. "Just because I took the lion's share of the last plot is no reason to get stuffy. We'll be finished soon anyway."  
  
"Yes, and for that I am eternally grateful. I am not designed for this type of work. I think I'll need another soak if I am ever planning on moving again." She gathered her latest pile of foliage and brought it over to the pile in the corner of the plot for Ryoko to incinerate.  
  
"Well I won't be blowing up any towns after this either," said Ryoko as she scraped her own pile over. "Hot bath and hot sake is all I need just now. This damn grit gets everywhere!"  
  
Ayeka huffed as she went back to her line. "The last thing we need right now Ryoko is to have you drunk. You're a menace as it is with that tool."  
  
"At least I'm getting it done unlike some whining little girls who can't pull their weight. Or is that bulk?" Ryoko was getting ticked off now.  
  
Ayeka on the other hand had reached the end of her tether. "That's rich coming from the woman who leaves her friends to starve while she gallivants around the system stuffing herself silly! I suppose after several centuries of genocide who would notice a half dozen more?"  
  
This hit Ryoko right between the eyes. "Why you arrogant little..."  
  
When the balls of energy started to gather in the enraged woman's palms Ayeka realised her mistake. "Ryoko wait, Tenchi-sama said we weren't to fight."  
  
"Take it back." Ryoko growled, her voice raising instantly. "*TAKE IT BACK!*"  
  
Ayeka bowed her head. "I apologise for my behaviour Ryoko- san. I did not mean to use such harsh words." She looked up at her. "I'm just hot. And tired. And I ache. And I really want to finish this job."  
  
Ryoko settled back to the ground and let the power dissipate. "Yeah, well, let's get on with it then. I didn't want to screw up another field anyway. I just... I didn't..."  
  
Ayeka allowed herself a small smile. "I know it wasn't you're fault Ryoko-san. The matter has been settled remember? Let's just finish up."  
  
"Yeah." Ryoko gave a grin. "Course next time I'll kick your ass!"  
  
"We shall see Ryoko." Ayeka picked up her hoe and went back to her line again.  
  
As she passed Ryoko, once again airborne, she heard the call, "Whoever finishes last fetches the sake!"  
  
Ayeka sighed, wondering if she would even be able to reach up to the cupboard after this.  
  
***  
  
Over on the opposite side of the fields Sasami lifted the last of her weed piles, placing it with the rest of the unwanted plants. Tenchi was still working his section of the plot, having taken a larger area than her in both of them. She settled herself down on the large rock by the end of the row and watched him work. Despite not being the warmest of weather he had discarded his shirt when they finished the last plot, and she could see the muscles in his back work out as he made short work of the last stretch of weed infested earth. He hadn't had those muscles when she had first met him. She soon found herself having to suppress a blush. Maybe if I was a few years older...  
  
She quickly quashed that thought. Her sister was quite obvious about her attraction to him, and Ryoko nee-chan felt the same. Even if she did like him like that the last thing he needed was another suitor! He was sort of cute though, she couldn't deny it. Well, cute or not she hadn't asked Washu to pair them up together just so she could watch him at work.  
  
She wandered over to him as he put down his hoe. "Tenchi nii- chan, can we talk?"  
  
He mopped his brow with his shirt before putting it back on. He'd be having a bath afterwards anyway. "Sure Sasami-chan, what is it?"  
  
Sasami frowned as she tried to think of the right wording. "Umm, you know how we had that party for your birthday last year? Well, we haven't really had anything like that here and it's Ayeka's birthday the day after tomorrow."  
  
Tenchi was shocked. He had never thought about that. He didn't even know when their birthdays were. "We haven't had birthdays for any of you have we? I'm really sorry Sasami it never even crossed my mind. How did you work it out though? I assume Jurai years and Earth years are different."  
  
"Oh, I asked Washu that!" Sasami replied with a grin. "I was just hoping we could make it a surprise! I think she would really like that."  
  
Tenchi smiled, "That's a great idea. I think we can set everything up in time, but do you think we'll be able to keep it quiet? You know Ryoko will hang a secret right under her nose."  
  
Sasami just kept her smile. "But if you think about what Ayeka will look like when we surprise her if she doesn't know about it, I think Ryoko nee-chan would like that too." She sat down on the path that ran past the plot. "And I really want it to be nice, so Ryoko won't do anything. We're friends."  
  
"I'm amazed you two get on so well when she and Ayeka-san fight so much," Tenchi mused as he sat beside her. "And I wish they were fighting over something other than me!"  
  
"Yeah, they like each other really, they just both want to be the one who's right." Sasami bowed her head in thought, trying to find another way of keeping her sister and friend from being mean to each other.  
  
Tenchi noticed her change of mood and decided to lighten the atmosphere again. "They'll grow out of it I think. Anyway, what is the plan for this party?"  
  
"Oh, yeah," Sasami said, bringing her attention back to her plan, "I was thinking we could all go shopping tomorrow and then get up in the night to put up decorations and things. But I don't know how to stop her coming out with us. I don't want her to think we don't want her around, like in those manga I read where everything went wrong because everybody kept her out."  
  
Tenchi thought about that. How could Ayeka be convinced to stay home alone? He could offer to stay with her, but he also needed to get her a present. "Hmm, well we'll have to think of something. Also, do you think you could find a way to wake up and leave the room at night without waking her up? That might be hard."  
  
Sasami frowned. "I hadn't thought of that either. I suppose I could ask to sleep with you for one night, but she knows I like that story she's been writing. She reads it to me when I can't sleep."  
  
"Do you think she'd let me borrow it?" he asked.  
  
She shook her head. "No, I don't think so. She never lets anyone read her stories, and hides the book so I can't look at it when she isn't there."  
  
Tenchi chuckled. "You wouldn't do that would you Sasami- chan?"  
  
Sasami smiled sheepishly and looked at her feet. "Um, well, maybe just a little," she admitted.  
  
Tenchi smiled again and looked up to see Washu, Mihoshi and Kiyone coming down the path. "Hi guys, you've finished?"  
  
"Finally," Kiyone replied. "This is a lot more tiring than it looks. You do this every year?"  
  
"Yeah, since we got it anyway. You guys have been a great help. It would usually take me a good couple of days to finish the whole thing."  
  
"Well, I think Tsunami and Ryo-ohki are nearly done," said Washu as she sidled up to Tenchi. "I decided to give them a hand since I finished early and Ryoko said she and Ayeka were just clearing up when I passed them. Shall we?" She gestured for them to head back to the shed.  
  
Tenchi nodded and got up, followed by Sasami, and they headed off. Sasami caught herself looking at Tenchi's frame again, despite him wearing his shirt. You're too young to be thinking like that Sasami, she chided herself, so just stop it. And this is Tenchi nii-chan after all. Even so she allowed herself a small private smile.  
  
"I think I need a bath." mused Mihoshi.  
  
"I think everyone will be thinking that by now." replied Kiyone.  
  
***  
  
The onsen was quiet, filled only with the sound of Mihoshi's light snoring and the light shower playing across the onsen's dome. Sasami and Ryo-ohki had already left, having exhausted themselves in a thorough splash fight with Ryoko, who was floating lazily in the middle, a dish of sake alongside her. Sasami still needed to prepare the dinner and Washu had decided to help her after saving Nobuyuki from his granddaughter. Tenchi himself was daydreaming in one of the upper pools, the girls having taken the main one. Tsunami had politely declined the invitation, saying she would try it next time.  
  
Kiyone sipped the last of her sake and decided that was enough for now, she still had plans and Mihoshi didn't really need to sleep at 6.00pm. She scooted closer to Ayeka, who was reclining lightly in the water with her eyes closed.  
  
"Umm, Ayeka. Are you awake?" she asked.  
  
Ayeka opened her eyes. "Yes."  
  
Kiyone plucked up her courage and continued on. "I was kind of wondering if I could ask a favour."  
  
Ayeka sat up intrigued. Kiyone was very independent and rarely asked for anything. "Of course, was is it?"  
  
"Well, you know you said you would cover for me if I wanted to, well, think about having some sort of relationship? I'd like to take up that offer."  
  
This woke Ayeka up! She stared at the obviously embarrassed detective. "Kiyone, this is great! Of course I'll cover for you. Is it anyone we know?"  
  
This embarrassed Kiyone even further and she looked down into the water. "Well, we haven't been out or anything but I talked to him when I went out last week and he does seem quite nice. He is usually in the same bar in the evenings so I was thinking of meeting him there tonight."  
  
"Well by all means do go," said Ayeka. She leaned in conspiratorially, "And let me know how it goes okay?"  
  
Kiyone nodded and looked around. It seemed like no one had overheard despite Ayeka's enthusiasm, so that was all right. She didn't really want her dating exploits to be made public knowledge, although it would get round the place soon enough.  
  
"Thanks Ayeka," she said before getting up and wading over to the snoozing Mihoshi. Ayeka nodded, leaned back and closed her eyes again with a smile playing across her face.  
  
***  
  
High above them in geostationary orbit a small ship hung, it's sensors pointed at the small island country below. Its deep auburn wooden hull indicating its origin and the design was both small and elegant giving the impression of both manoeuvrability and an owner with a great deal of class.  
  
Inside, the owner viewed the results of the weapons testing they had made. It was good. It looked like it would be even easier to implement than he had expected, and he took a moment to savour the thought. Planning was everything and he wouldn't be caught out. He gave the report to the metallic insect-like automaton at his side. "Good. Commence with the operation. Give the order to raise optical shields. This planet still uses direct visual observation."  
  
The machine gave off a ream of noises as it confirmed the orders and scuttled off to deal with the solid material it had been given. He watched it go, admiring the precision and mechanical grace with which it moved. So few people appreciated such work in this day and age.  
  
He sat back in his chair and waited. He had waited a long time to play his hand, gathering his pieces carefully. Time for all his work to pay off. He smiled and brought up an image of the planet he orbited. It would at least be entertaining to watch.  
  
***  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
---------------  
  
Please send any comments and criticisms to:  
  
nutzoide@hotmail.com  
  
Or leave them on the archive where you found this story.  
  
If it will help me improve, I want to hear it.  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Wow, this chapter took way too long to write, about 5 months from start to end! I blame coursework, the holiday my muse took, and all you great fanfic writers whose work I read instead of working on this. ^-^ I'll definitely try to get the next one out faster!  
  
I know this has been a very slow chapter, and if you are wondering when something is actually going to happen, I can assure you it will be soon. Actually, this fic is going to be pretty slow in general, since the story I'm trying to get down needs a bit of a subtle approach, and there will probably be plenty of day to day stuff in the plot. There will however be plenty of stuff going on as well, so stay tuned.  
  
I have also put a 'posted' date at the bottom. The reason for this is that I don't post a chapter until the next is written and being proof-read. This allows me to come back to each chapter after a while and make any alterations I feel it it needs looking at it in both hindsight and in relation to the following one, thus hopefully making it a better chapter.  
  
***  
  
Translation Notes:  
  
-san: Translated as Mr. or Miss. And so on. Can be used for both family and personal names.  
  
-chan: Diminutive honorific. The closest English speakers have is 'little' or 'li'l'. Used for children, very close friends or lovers.  
  
-sama: Formal honorific. Translated as 'Lord' or 'Lady'. Very respectful.  
  
-dono: Also translated as 'Lord' but I don't know the specifics of this one. I'm guessing it is a bit less formal than '-sama'.  
  
-sensei: Translates as teacher or professor and can be used as a word on its own.  
  
Onee-sama / Onee-chan: Meaning 'sister'. The '-sama' variation is 'big sister' and the '-chan' one is 'little sister'.  
  
Onii-sama / Onii-chan: As above but meaning brother. Sasami uses the '-chan' variations of both for the family because she is young / being cute / because they are all close family to her.  
  
(They can also be used without the 'O' at the beginning when placed after someone's name, signifying that that person is their 'brother' or 'sister'. Sasami uses this for the family she is not immediately related to such as Tenchi and those she considers family like Ryoko.)  
  
-ken: The name attached is the name of a sword. The Tenchi-ken is the 'Sword Tenchi'.  
  
Chibi: Translates as small and used when describing a super deformed image of someone. Super deformed is when the character is very small or squashed, chubby and very cute, as seen used in some anime for comic effect.  
  
Onsen: A public or communal bath. Often associated with a hot spring.  
  
Sake: Japanese rice wine.  
  
Tanuki: Smallish Japanese mammal similar to a raccoon (I think). Tanuki statues are often placed outside shops for good luck.  
  
Karaoke: Popular pastime. Music is played along with the lyrics and you sing the song yourself.  
  
Manga: Japanese comics. There are types for pretty much everybody, not just the children and collectors.  
  
***  
  
Completed: January 26th - 2003  
  
Posted: February 9th - 2003  
  
Fanfiction.net revised format version: March 10th - 2003 


	3. Through the Cracks

Before we start let's get one thing straight: Tenchi Muyo and everything that officially comprises it is owned by AIC and Pioneer. This is unofficial and the story and original characters I create belong to me, so I'd be grateful if you ask before using them in something else. Please, PLEASE don't sue me. I'm only doing this to appease my muse!  
  
***  
  
Faith, Hope & Carrot Soup  
  
- A Tenchi Muyo Fan-Fiction By Nutzoide -  
  
Chapter 2: Through the Cracks  
  
It was 2am the next morning when Mihoshi heard the door to their flat open again. She had decided to wait up for her partner partly so she could help her to bed if she had had too much to drink, but mostly to see how her date had gone. After a couple of hours sleep yesterday afternoon she thought she could probably get up in time for work in the morning.  
  
Oooooh! I wonder if he's handsome! she thought as she peeked round the kitchen door. Kiyone always had really good taste.  
  
As it turned out he was rather good looking, at least to her eyes. He was a little taller than Kiyone and looked to have a bit of western blood in him as well as Japanese, like that man who she had worked for at the off licence. His black hair was long enough to tie back and hung just above his shoulder blades with a few strands falling around his face. He had calming brown eyes, although they were a bit squinty. Given the way they were propping each other up she figured that was probably the alcohol and they were both rather damp thanks to the rain outside.  
  
"Hi Kiyone! Did you have fun?" she said, greeting them after they deposited keys, photos and various other bits and bobs onto the table.  
  
Kiyone looked up unsteadily. "Ah! Mihoshi. Mihoshi, this is Shoji. Shoji, this is Mihoshi."  
  
Shoji looked up and pulled the stray wet hair out of his eyes with his free hand. "Ah ha! You must be the partner in crime Kiyone- san told me about." Kiyone giggled at that.  
  
Mihoshi on the other hand didn't get it. "Oh no, we're the Galaxy Police. We catch the criminals." The words had left her mouth before Kiyone could stop them. Mihoshi immediately realised what she had let slip and quickly covered her mouth.  
  
Kiyone, despite the haze created by a night of social drinking, knew what had just happened and vowed to kill her later. She looked up to see what Shoji's reaction would be. Date or not this was big trouble.  
  
Shoji looked at Mihoshi for a second. Maybe I just missed a private joke or something. Then he spied something on the table.  
  
"Hmmm," he said looking down at Kiyone as lecherously as he could manage, "I guess that is what these are for, eh?" He held up a pair of handcuffs. "I didn't know you were into that sort of thing Kiyone-san. Or should that be officer-chan?"  
  
Kiyone looked at him like he had grown a second head before bursting into laughter. "Gimme those!" She snatched back the handcuffs, "And don't get perverted on me alright? They're for self-defence."  
  
Shoji let out an almost cackle-like laugh. "Right, right. God knows it there are some strange people out at night."  
  
Kiyone smiled. If only you knew how strange! she thought.  
  
"Anyway," said Shoji turning towards Mihoshi, "yes I am Shoji Mugai, nice to meet you Mihoshi-san." He took a formal bow, which ended up depriving Kiyone of vertical support, leaving her on her bottom on the floor shortly after a slight squeal from the aforementioned 'detective who wasn't'.  
  
Mihoshi smiled and bowed back. She hadn't understood the meaning behind what they had said about the Galaxy Police but it seemed Kiyone had saved her. She probably should have read more about human culture, but there was too much to remember!  
  
"Mihoshi Kuramitsu," she said introducing herself as she returned his bow.  
  
She and Shoji helped Kiyone to her feet, then, realising there was nowhere to take her, sat back down again.  
  
After a few minutes of exchanging pleasantries Shoji looked at his watch. "I suppose I had better be going," he said as he got to his feet again. "We both have work in a few hours after all."  
  
"Sure," Kiyone replied. "Oh, wait, do you want me to call you a cab?"  
  
"No thanks, I didn't drink as much as it looked like, and the rain doesn't bother me." He grabbed his keys off the table. "I'll see you around I guess."  
  
"Yeah," replied Kiyone sleepily as she dried her hair and Mihoshi opened the door for him.  
  
"Nice to have met you Mihoshi-san," he said as he left.  
  
"You too Shoji-san," Mihoshi said before closing the door. She turned to see Kiyone working the cricks out of her neck.  
  
"No kiss goodbye?" she asked, a little confused. "I thought that was what usually happened on Earth dates. And he was kind of cute." She sat down next to her partner.  
  
Kiyone smiled and chuckled a bit. "It was fun, but I think we both agreed we weren't what the other was looking for. He'd be a good friend though I think."  
  
"Oh, Kiyone I'm so sorry," Mihoshi said with sympathy. "And you haven't had a boyfriend in so long."  
  
"Aaaargh. Well, that's life. It was a decent way to spend an evening though. How about you?" She yawned.  
  
"Umm. Well, I finished writing that report on the smugglers we caught last week, and there was that funny program on TV I wanted to watch." She got up and headed into the kitchen for a drink. "Oh, I got some more of that coffee too because we were nearly out and I know you like to drink that in the mornings. And there was that man who called about whether we wanted some books, but they were really dull so I said no, and then I went to tell the landlady about the bathroom sink not working, so she sent someone to fix that. And that's about it! ... Kiyone?"  
  
She poked her head back round the door. "Kiyone?"  
  
Kiyone was asleep at the table.  
  
Mihoshi giggled, finished pouring her cup of hot chocolate, and walked quietly back into the main room. She set the cup to cool off then dragged the futons from out of the closet. She rummaged around to find Kiyone's pyjamas, knowing how she hated to wear her regular clothes to bed, then dragged her over to her futon. She carefully removed Kiyone's clothes which smelled faintly of smoke, then got her into the pyjamas. She giggled as she remembered doing the same thing after their graduation party at the academy. That had been a really fun party. So was the one when they had caught the head of Tyrillun gun runners and got promoted to First Class Detectives. As she got her into her futon she wondered why alcohol always made Kiyone fall asleep before she did. It was usually the other way around wasn't it?  
  
After she had finished she went back to her hot chocolate and watched her partner sleep. It was so different looking at her like this than it usually was. She was so calm and peaceful now. Mihoshi wished she could be like this more often. Not asleep, she wouldn't get any work done then! Just so that she wasn't worrying about anything.  
  
Maybe we should go and do some karaoke again soon. That would be fun. We could invite Shoji too. Kiyone said she would like to be friends with him. Or maybe we could do it for Ayeka's birthday. We could have another contest.  
  
Tenchi had let Kiyone know about the birthday plans before they had left yesterday, so they could both get presents and ask for the day off work.  
  
Oh, that's right! she remembered as she drank. We have to get presents tomorrow too. Hmm... What should I get her? What do you get a Juraian Princess?  
  
She pondered on this for a while before deciding that she would ask Kiyone tomorrow.  
  
It was just as she was pulling off her socks that she remembered how Kiyone was trying to put hers on the previous morning. That was funny, even for her. Then again, she mused we were late, and Kiyone always gets panicky when we are late for stuff. I should probably set the alarm for her in the morning so we don't get late today, and I think she'll need time to get over her hangover. Now were did we leave the alarm clock?  
  
She set off to find the elusive timepiece and eventually discovered it hiding away beside the dresser, having fallen off a few days previously.  
  
Having set the device to get them up in time for them to get to work tomorrow, she sat back on her futon and came to one very clear and undeniable conclusion; It was cold crawling around in the middle of the night in nothing but a sock and a pair of panties.  
  
Next time maybe I should get changed first, she told herself, before getting into her own bed clothes and crawling into the second futon.  
  
Had she got changed first she would have forgotten about the alarm clock, been late for work and subsequently been chewed out by their boss after their shift when they should have been catching a speeding shuttle passing though that sector of space. As a consequence the speeder would have made his delivery of explosives to his gang, who would have made a major strike on the Juraian embassy on Torg, leaving the both Jurai and Torg with a major terrorist hunt. It would eventually have left all the terrorists and 5 Special Forces people dead by the time it was over.  
  
Whatever it was that gave Mihoshi her incredible luck seemed to realise that foiling that was worth getting a cold bum for.  
  
***  
  
"WAAAAAAHHHHH! *gasp* Ryoko!"  
  
Tenchi Masaki had woken. Once again the first thing he had seen was an in-depth close up of Ryoko's bloodshot eyes. They weren't the best things to see first thing in the morning.  
  
"Good morning Tenchi," she said before floating down for a hug. As usual she missed him by a hair's breadth as he escaped to the hallway.  
  
"Awww, come on Tenchi, just one little morning cuddle? Pleeeease?"  
  
He turned around to see her float through his bedroom door and gave her a half-lidded stare. "Ryoko, I'm going to the bathroom. You are going to go downstairs for breakfast. And please don't hover over my bed like that at night. It's kind of freaky."  
  
"Oh, alright, but I like watching you sleep. I'll go and see if her princess-ness is up."  
  
"Umm... Ryoko-san?"  
  
She floated over to his side and slipped her arm around him, making him rather nervous. "Yes Tenchi?"  
  
"Err, its' just... Kicking Ayeka awake might not be such a great idea." He swallowed.  
  
"How did you know? It worked last time," Ryoko replied mischievously.  
  
"It took 3 hours to clean up the room last time. You know what we're doing, so try not to fight, okay? Please?"  
  
"You know I won't spoil it Tenchi." She gave him a pat on the backside before floating off to Ayeka's room. Tenchi let out a breath then headed for the bathroom.  
  
I hope we can pull this off, he thought. Despite being fairly confident they could he was still waiting for the scream from Ayeka's room.  
  
"AAAAAAIIIIIIII! *thump* RYOKO! HOW *DARE* YOU!"  
  
Tenchi sighed. I should have known.  
  
***  
  
After breakfast had been cleared away and Ayeka had been mollified came the task of disciplining Ryoko. This was the part of the damage control Tenchi hated the most, whichever side was the one to require it. His father and grandfather had made it quite clear that the extraterrestrial guests were his responsibility. This time though came an added problem, making sure Ayeka felt properly done by without her knowing anything. He'd decided that the shrine shed was as good a place as any, so when they had finished eating he had mentioned moving his farming tools into their new shed and made quite sure to bring Ryoko along. Ayeka had seemed to think that was appropriate enough and had graciously agreed to start her chores early.  
  
"Okay Ryoko, you didn't give Ayeka a kick to get her up, but dropping her out of the window by her ankles is definitely not any better!"  
  
She wilted under his glare. "But Tenchiii," she said trying to explain herself, "she would have gotten suspicious if I didn't do *anything*."  
  
Tenchi however stuck to his argument. "That's not he point. It was stupid and dangerous Ryoko, she could have got hurt."  
  
"But she didn't," Ryoko almost pleaded back, "I knew she could take it. It was only a joke! And you didn't hear what she said to me yesterday in the fields. She..."  
  
Tenchi cut her off, "Ryoko when you had finished yesterday you were both getting along. You settled whatever it was right?"  
  
Ryoko lowered her eyes. "Well, she said she was sorry and I didn't want to make you angry about the fields again so I said it was okay, but it was still really cruel and..."  
  
"But it was over." Tenchi brought her head up to look him in the eyes. He found that appealing directly like that to Ryoko was the best way to get her to accept her mistakes. That way she couldn't convince herself she wasn't to blame without feeling guilty about it. "Ryoko when you settle something just let it go, and if you're still angry about it then just tell whoever it is and talk about it, don't drop them out of windows. It just got you fighting again."  
  
"I... I'm sorry. I won't do it again."  
  
He stepped forward and gave her a brief hug. "I'm glad. Do you want me to talk to Ayeka about yesterday?"  
  
She looked up at him again. Yes, I want you to punish her too. I don't want to be the one to blame. It's not my fault. Then you'll see what a witch she is and I can have you all to myself and we'll be happy just you and me. She squashed that little voice in the back of her head. Regardless of that little part of her she *had* heard what he had said and he was right. She was just looking for excuses again.  
  
She looked down. "No," she said in a quiet voice, "it's nothing. We finished it."  
  
Tenchi smiled. "Good. Now, you had better start moving this stuff." He gestured to the gardening equipment. "You still have to serve your sentence!"  
  
"What about my chores?"  
  
"Them too."  
  
Ryoko looked at him aghast. "What? That's not fair!"  
  
"That's why its called punishment Ryoko. It's not meant to be pleasant."  
  
Ryoko stuck her nose in the air and crossed her arms under her breasts, making sure Tenchi got a good view of her cleavage. "I won't, and you can't make me!"  
  
This brought Tenchi up short. She was right.  
  
"Umm... Well, I guess not, but... err..." Tenchi started to get nervous. Regardless of his telling her off he really didn't want to get her mad at him. And she *had* been more amenable since her merging with Zero.  
  
Ryoko stalked slowly up to him, causing him to retreat slightly. When he backed up against the wall she stopped and flashed him a smile. "You know," she said, "you're really cute when you're nervous!" She gave a quick giggle.  
  
Tenchi relaxed. "So, you'll do it?"  
  
"I haven't brushed my teeth," she replied.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"I haven't brushed my teeth this morning."  
  
"Well, brush your teeth, then move this stuff to the new shed, okay? Just make sure you're done with you're chores by lunchtime because we'll be out this afternoon shopping for the party."  
  
"Okay," she said. She phased out and re-appeared in the bathroom. She picked out her toothbrush, loaded it with paste and stuck it in her mouth. I hate brushing my teeth, she thought.  
  
***  
  
"Umm... Ayeka-san? Can I ask you a favour?"  
  
Ayeka looked up from her book to see Tenchi standing there, and looking a little nervous. "Of course Tenchi-sama. What is it?"  
  
Tenchi sat down. "Well, you see, it looks like everyone else is going out this afternoon and I was hoping you could mind Mayuka."  
  
And here I was hoping that I would get an afternoon alone with you. Ayeka didn't betray her disappointment as he finished his request.  
  
"I know it's kind of short notice but you see I thought now we have that new shed I could get some more tools since I won't have to carry them up there any more, and Sasami has convinced Tsunami that she should see what going shopping is like. So then Washu said she wanted to record it what with Tsunami being a goddess and everything. Grandpa said he was busy and Dad's at work, and I figured we should take Ryoko along so we can keep her on a short leash after what she did this morning."  
  
Despite her disappointment at being asked not to come along she couldn't help but giggle at Tenchi's little ramble. She could just imagine Ryoko being lead around the town on a collar and lead. "I suppose that would be alright if no-one else can, though I must say I've been hoping to go shopping myself some time soon. Could we not bring Mayuka along?"  
  
Tenchi thought fast. He hadn't really put that question into his rehearsals for this chat. "Well, we might be gone a few hours. It... wouldn't really be fair or pleasant to bring a screaming baby along with us."  
  
Oh well, Ayeka thought, it was worth a try.  
  
"That is true," she said, "I remember Mother trying to bring Sasami to a trade convention once. She bawled for hours. It was quite embarrassing."  
  
Sasami suddenly stuck her head around the door to the garden from where she had been listening in. "I didn't bawl!" she pouted.  
  
Ayeka laughed lightly into her hand. "Sasami you howled like the world was going to end. Father had to take you out of Mother Funaho's speech so you wouldn't cause a scene. It made the news the next day!"  
  
Sasami stormed up to her sister still in full pout mode. "I don't howl."  
  
"Sasami, you were only 4 years old. I'd be amazed if you can even remember it!"  
  
Sasami calmed down, realising she indeed could barely remember any incident like that. "I never howled," her pout fading into a minor resigned sulk. "Even if I was a baby."  
  
This managed to confuse Tenchi however. He turned to Ayeka, "Baby? I thought you said she was four years old."  
  
"Tenchi-sama what do you... oh. I suppose Onii-sama never told you much about Juraians did he," she realised.  
  
He shook his head. "No. I didn't know about space or aliens or anything like that until Ryoko showed up."  
  
Ayeka turned thoughtful. "Well as I understand it Juraians live a lot longer than Earth born humans and also have a slower development. I think years on Jurai are a different length from the ones here on Earth too. I'm not sure how you would calculate our ages compared to Earth human development but a Juraian at four years old is still very much an infant."  
  
Tenchi and Sasami however had both realised that talking about age was not the best thing to do when trying to organise the surprise party. At the least it would make them seem heartless when they didn't mention her birthday.  
  
Luckily Ayeka had brought up a convenient question for Tenchi to change subject with. "What do you mean by 'Earth born humans'? Are there other types of human out there?"  
  
Ayeka was somewhat surprised at this. "Yes, of course there are Tenchi-sama. Earth was a lost Juraian colony after all, so you could say that you are technically Earth born Juraians! The passage of time has allowed your genes to change a little but we are still basically the same race. There are a great number of human races and races that originated from human ancestry. There are also mixed race people where we are able to interbreed. Us humans are positively everywhere!" They all gave a chuckle at that.  
  
"Mmmm. Nice to see you kids taking in interest in genetics. Once of my favourite subjects that is." Washu walked into the room wiping her hands on a dishcloth. "I'd take the time to explain the differences between your peoples, but lunch is almost ready. Maybe once we get back hmmm?" She turned back to the kitchen to finish preparing her tempura.  
  
"Oh Sasami-chan, you're not making lunch today?" Tenchi asked turning to her.  
  
Sasami gave a half-hearted smile. "I asked Washu if she would cook today. I'm not feeling too good."  
  
Ayeka leaned in and put her hand on her sister's forehead. "What's wrong? Have you seen Washu about it?" she asked worriedly. Tenchi gave her a look of concern.  
  
"I'm fine Onee-sama. I'll be okay soon. I just didn't want to have to cook today, and it's *Washu* doing the cooking."  
  
"Well as long as you're alright. Perhaps we should set the table," Ayeka said.  
  
Tenchi nodded.  
  
"No need to worry about that Tenchi-chan!" Ryoko phased into the room with an armful of crockery. "And yes I *have* finished my chores. I just want to eat soon and her high and mightiness will take forever to lay this stuff out." In less than ten seconds she was done.  
  
Tenchi beamed at her. "Wow Ryoko I'm impressed. You can really work fast when you put your mind to it."  
  
Ayeka just stared at her with eyebrows raised, her eyes wide in astonishment.  
  
"Thank you Tenchi," Ryoko said with a faint blush before floating back into the kitchen.  
  
{Thanks Washu,} she thought-cast to the chef, {it really worked! *sigh*}  
  
Washu gave her a smug grin. {Of course it did. Glad to be of help Ryoko-chan.} Ryoko didn't even correct her on the -chan addition. Washu smiled to herself. I'm getting through.  
  
Back at the table Ayeka sat in disbelief. "Ryoko finishes her chores and we haven't even had lunch yet. Then she *volunteers* to do more! The sky will be falling next if we aren't careful!"  
  
Sasami and Tenchi just laughed.  
  
Well, Ayeka thought as she got up, it will be nice to have a quiet afternoon for once.  
  
She didn't notice Sasami gently hold her stomach as she left.  
  
Two hours later she sat cradling Mayuka in her arms with a notebook and pencil left forgotten in her lap.  
  
***  
  
Down in the town everybody else was busy looking for presents and buying supplies for the party the next day. Apparently Nobuyuki would buy his gift on the way home from work, and Katsuhito was as mysterious as ever when he admitted he had already anticipated the party. Mihoshi and Kiyone were still at work.  
  
Tsunami stood outside a shop window, her eyes passing over an exquisite formal gown. It was rather western in style and would fit close to Ayeka's figure in all the right places. It was also off the left shoulder, just racy enough for her without being overt and almost the perfect red to complement her hair. Gold and black embroidery worked its way up the left side, around the back, and finishing across the breast. A dragon intertwined with a garland of roses.  
  
It is perfect.  
  
She called the others over for their opinions. It wouldn't do if it were inappropriate for the occasion. After all, Ayeka was almost her sister thanks to Sasami, and as much as she hated to admit it she was not exactly adept yet at personal relationships and mortal-type thought.  
  
Tenchi and Ryoko were the first to come and he confirmed that it would be a superb gift.  
  
"Very swish," Ryoko agreed.  
  
Then Sasami and Washu approached.  
  
Sasami stared wide eyed at the dress. "Oh my! It's... It's just like her Mori Tatakai outfit." She gave a gleeful laugh. "Are you going to get it for her Tsunami?" she asked, already knowing the answer.  
  
Tsunami nodded.  
  
"Mori Tatakai?" Tenchi asked as he looked at the price label. "Tsunami, this dress is lovely but it's very expensive. I'm not sure any of us could afford it."  
  
"Don't worry about that Tenchi-dono," Washu chipped in. "Us foreign types have our own sources, right girls?"  
  
"Yep. That's right Tenchi nii-chan," said Sasami. She leaned in to whisper to him. "And I'm a princess too remember?"  
  
Tenchi nodded. "Yeah. I guess I forgot about that."  
  
Tsunami turned and walked into the store followed by the others.  
  
"Good afternoon," said the salesman who had been watching them through the window. "May I help you?"  
  
"Yes," Tsunami said, "I would like to buy the red dress in the front window."  
  
As she spoke those words she could literally see the joy radiating off the man, as well as a touch of greed. That dress was one of the top-end pieces in the store, and a sale like this would ensure a very healthy profit margin this month.  
  
"Of course miss. If you would follow me to the fitting room."  
  
Tsunami smiled. "That will not be necessary. The dress in the window is perfect."  
  
The salesman stopped and turned to her. "Er, please forgive me miss, but I believe that particular item may be a little, *ahem* small for you." After all she was rather tall for a woman, a little taller than both the young man with her and himself, and her bust was somewhat larger than that particular size would comfortably accommodate. "We have several sizes available however that so if you would..." He stopped as Tsunami slowly shook her head, still smiling.  
  
"No, no, you misunderstand me. It is not for myself. I intend it as a gift. I believe it would fit her perfectly."  
  
The salesman smiled in understanding. "I see, please forgive me. If you are certain then I shall package it for you."  
  
"Thank you very much," Tsunami replied. She removed a sheaf of 10,000 yen bills from the pouch at the side of her Juraian style kimono (she was the only one besides Ayeka who had not yet adopted Earth clothing when going out) and handed them over the counter.  
  
Five minutes later they were back in the main shopping street, Tsunami now carrying her new purchase.  
  
"See Tsunami," Sasami said looking up, "it is fun."  
  
Tsunami nodded. "There is a nice sense of satisfaction to this. And my curiosity is piqued about your choices."  
  
"Well you know what I'm going to give her," Sasami said. "You will still help me make it won't you?"  
  
"Of course," Tsunami replied.  
  
"Home made huh?" said Ryoko. "Well, I don't really know about this stuff, but whatever I get is gonna be secret from you guys too."  
  
"Hey Ryoko," called Tenchi as she made to head off, "no floating around or anything, okay?"  
  
"Yeah I know," she replied sneakily, "don't spook the natives!" She stuck her hands in her jeans and walked off to the shopping centre up ahead.  
  
The remaining four continued to wander up the street browsing at the windows.  
  
"Sasami-chan," Tenchi said, "what was that Mori Tatakai you mentioned?"  
  
"It's a sports tournament," she replied. "They have it every two years on Jurai. It's really popular too. Everybody watches it and the really lucky ones can get tickets. It's sort of on the same level as that football game here on earth, although I don't know what is so great about lots of men kicking a ball around a field."  
  
"I was never very good at it but football is a pretty good game," Tenchi said.  
  
Sasami was dubious about that. "Well Mori Tatakai is more..." She didn't get to finish as Washu called them over to look at her find.  
  
Inside the store Washu was carrying a set of books on plants and gardening. Usually she would just compose her own set of instructions and lessons but in this case she felt the thought was probably as important as the actual usefulness of the product. She would of course add her own notes!  
  
Tenchi looked rather surprised at her choice. "Well," she explained, "Ayeka and Kiyone do put plenty of effort into that flower garden round the back of the house, and since they are all Earth plants I figured getting a bit of the local literature on the subject wouldn't hurt."  
  
"I must say I think it is a wonderful idea," said Tsunami. "It is nice to see people nurturing the wildlife."  
  
"Well," Washu replied, "since you were a tree I suppose you would think that!"  
  
"She spends time with Ryu-oh too," said Sasami. "I think she likes seeing things grow. She already said she wonders whether Mayuka-chan will look like she used to when she grows up."  
  
"Looks like we left her in good hands then," said Tenchi.  
  
Washu went over to pay for her gift while the others glanced over the other book titles in the store. "Well Tenchi nii-chan," said Sasami, "just you left. What are you going to get Onee-sama?"  
  
Tenchi frowned. "I honestly don't know. I suppose I'll just try and find something that looks right. I mean, she can get pretty much anything she wants through Washu or your parents."  
  
"Well, usually when we get each other gifts we find something that they like that they wouldn't think of, or something decorative. It doesn't have to be something she needs, just something she would love because you got it for her."  
  
"I don't really know much about her though. Before she came here I mean," he said as they walked back out to the street.  
  
"That doesn't matter," Sasami replied. "Back home all our stuff was picked for us, and all we did was boring royal things and study."  
  
"I guess you didn't get to go out much," he said. "Still, you had friends in the palace right?"  
  
She nodded. "Yes, and I had Tsunami with me too, so it wasn't bad. My best friend was sick a lot though, so when we did stuff together we had to be careful. She could never play in the maze or go climbing, but we had the best fun together. Ayeka is writing her into the stories for me."  
  
"Hey, Tenchi," Washu called, "why don't you get her some jewellery?"  
  
Tenchi walked over to the shop. "Well, I guess I could afford something like that if it wasn't too expensive."  
  
"Those are nice," she commented pointing at one of the display cases.  
  
"Washu-chan," Tenchi said doubtfully, "I don't think a ring would be a very safe idea!"  
  
"Hmmmm. Maybe," she said. "They are nice though."  
  
After several minutes of browsing a bracelet caught his eye. It was a simple silver chain with three small silver plates between the links. Each had different kanji inscribed on it. One was Strength, one was Elegance, and one was Spirit. It wasn't greatly original but for some reason it just felt... right.  
  
He called Sasami over. "Do you think she'd like that one?" He pointed at the bracelet in question.  
  
"Yeah," she replied, "it's all Onee-sama's best features!"  
  
Tenchi smiled.  
  
After buying the bracelet they headed back towards the shopping centre Ryoko had gone to. She was waiting around outside, a bag hanging from her wrist.  
  
"Hi guys, you done?" she asked.  
  
"Yep," replied Sasami.  
  
"May we enquire about your selection Ryoko-san?" asked Tsunami, although it wasn't quite clear whether she was asking out of curiosity or amused politeness.  
  
"No you can't," Ryoko replied. "You see it when she does." She beamed at them.  
  
"Ryoko, it's not obscene is it?" Tenchi asked.  
  
"Of course not," Ryoko said innocently. Too innocently.  
  
"Ryoko," Tenchi started.  
  
Ryoko looked at him. "Tenchi, seriously I think she'll actually like it. I said I was gonna try and do this right," she said, with genuine sincerity this time.  
  
"Okay," he conceded. "Does anyone need anything else while we're here?"  
  
"I still need to get the wasabi for the sushi tomorrow," Sasami said, "and we're nearly out of Teriyaki sauce. I though I might try a special Teriyaki dish I saw on TV. I've got everything for the cake though."  
  
"Cake?" Ryoko said.  
  
"Well let's get that stuff then we can head back," said Tenchi, and they headed for the food stores.  
  
***  
  
Not too far away from where the shoppers had been Kiyone and Mihoshi sat on the front step of their apartment.  
  
"I can't believe it!" Kiyone moaned into her hands. "Of all the things I could lose it would be the stupid door keys!"  
  
"It's okay Kiyone," Mihoshi said comfortingly, patting her partner on the back. "The landlady will be back soon and we can get the spare key off her. And that's the fifth time you've said that."  
  
Kiyone batted Mihoshi's hand away. "Just shut up Mihoshi."  
  
Mihoshi frowned. "Hey that's not fair Kiyone. It wasn't my fault this time *sniff* I was just..."  
  
Kiyone cut her off before she could start watering the step. "Hey, hey, ease up, I know. It's my fault. It's just... I don't know. Do you know how lucky we were to bag that guy? That was a fast ship, and he could have done some serious damage with all the explosives he was carrying. A bust like this is going to look really good on our reports you know. And then I go and lose those stupid keys, it just really ticked me off."  
  
Mihoshi looked down at her hands in her lap. "Mmm-hmm."  
  
"You know," Kiyone continued, "I really want to hit something right now."  
  
Mihoshi looked up. "You're not going to hit me are you?" she asked cautiously.  
  
Kiyone looked up and stifled a laugh. "What? No of course not. Why on earth would you think that?"  
  
"Well, stress and anger causes lack of judgement leading to panic..."  
  
"... and insecurity during which the subject it not in full control of their actions."  
  
"Always make sure to exploit these factors in the field," they both finished together before breaking down with laughter.  
  
"I always hated that book," Kiyone said as she tried to control herself.  
  
"Me too," Mihoshi said. "Mr. Kaahn made me learn the whole thing."  
  
"Well isn't this a sight."  
  
The two looked over to see Shoji Mugai walking over. "Two beautiful women sitting outside their apartment and giggling like school girls on the step."  
  
"Oh, hi Mugai-san," said Mihoshi.  
  
He raised his hands. "Just 'Shoji' please."  
  
Mihoshi nodded.  
  
"So," said Kiyone standing up, "what brings you by?"  
  
Shoji looked sheepishly at her and stuck a hand in his pocket. "Well, I'm afraid I took these by accident last night." He held up a set of keys. "I figured they must be yours."  
  
Kiyone took them with a trembling hand. "Y... you mean I forgot to lock up this morning too?" She turned and slowly reached towards the door. She took the handle, and pushed it down, praying to every god she knew. The door slowly swung open as she let go.  
  
It was enough to make her cry. Mihoshi on the other hand was rolling around with laughter in the walkway. Shoji himself moderately sweat- dropped as he watched the escapade.  
  
"You thought you were locked out?" he asked. "How long have you been sitting there exactly?"  
  
"Ov... hee hee... Over an hour!" Mihoshi managed to say between fits of giggles.  
  
Shoji chuckled a bit himself. Kiyone just walked in and sat down at the table shaking her head.  
  
Mihoshi managed to collect herself and asked Shoji in.  
  
"I'm sorry about that," he said as he sat down. "I would have come sooner but I only just got off work."  
  
Kiyone looked up with a wry smile on her face. "That's okay. It's already been a weird day."  
  
"Would you two like a drink?" Mihoshi asked after putting her shoes away.  
  
"Well tea would be great if that's alright," Shoji said.  
  
"Coffee for me," answered Kiyone.  
  
"Okay." She headed off into the kitchen.  
  
"So what *do* you do for a living Shoji-san? I never did ask," Kiyone said.  
  
"I write for a couple of magazines," he replied "I'm doing an special article on Japan's lack of recreation space at the moment, so everybody thinks I'm a stalker hanging out at the parks all day."  
  
"Must be nice to have steady income," Kiyone said. "For some reason Mihoshi and I work all day and are still broke, if we can even hold down the job."  
  
Shoji winced in sympathy. "Jeez, that's rough. I guess I know the feeling though. I can't wait for my next pay cheque. I'm getting sick of instant ramen."  
  
"Yeah," said Mihoshi as she came out with three mugs, "we try and eat with Sasami if that happens. She's the world greatest cook."  
  
"Mmm, that was quick. Thanks." Shoji took his tea and sipped it. "I like cooking myself provided I have the money to make anything decent."  
  
***  
  
The man sat at his console. Beside him a faintly humanoid machine gave a status report.  
  
"And what of the new factors?"  
  
The machine gave off a ream of strange clicks and beeps.  
  
"I want all possible contingents covered. We have already made one alteration to the plan, and this will allow us greater flexibility."  
  
The machine gave another stream of noise.  
  
"It is acceptable," he replied. "The benefits outweigh the risk percentage."  
  
The machine gave a chime of acknowledgement.  
  
"I want to see you in the laboratory in two hours." He stroked the 'head' and 'neck' of the machine. "I'll give you the additional touches you need."  
  
The machine quivered slightly, though whether at his touch or his words was unclear. In either case, it was clear what the machine felt. Pleasure.  
  
***  
  
The majority of the Masaki house had gathered round the table for Washu's lecture this time. Only Tsunami and Katsuhito were absent, each for their own inscrutable reasons.  
  
"The obvious difference in genetics between Juraian and Earth human is the visual characteristics. For example Earth humans don't naturally have blue hair." Washu looked at Sasami for this example. Sasami grinned and ducked her head down a little now that all the attention was on her.  
  
"The pigmentation for the eyes and hair in Juraians is vastly more varied than that in Earth's human population. My supposition is that the need for such coloration for ritual and sexual purposes wasn't needed here, and as such adapted to allow for better survivability on the relatively primitive planet. Conversely, skin coloration among Juraians is fairly standard, whereas on this planet pigmentation has been used to adapt to different localities in order to cope with the varying solar radiation levels." She produced a gene chart.  
  
Before she could start again Ryoko butted in. "Washu just skip this bit huh? There's no way we're gonna understand that," she said pointing to the chart.  
  
Washu slapped the sheet down onto the table, catching Ryoko's hand in the process. Ryoko winced, deciding that Washu-chan could be 'little' tonight if she wanted to be.  
  
Washu on the other hand looked around at the other faces. Each one nodded apologetically. She deflated and rolled the sheet back up.  
  
"You said that hair colour was, ummm, a sexual thing?" asked Tenchi, being somewhat brave considering where this could lead.  
  
As he expected Washu got that gleam in her eye. "Yep. Originally it was involved in mating rituals and such as an indicator of the genetic proficiencies the mate would bring to any children. Nowadays it is purely an aesthetic choice. Some people still believe hair colour can tell you what a person is like, but there is no real proof of that anymore. Ryoko for example would be an innocent introvert!" Everybody sniggered at that.  
  
"Hey!" Ryoko said in her defence.  
  
"Then again she isn't Juraian. It is just a secondary sexual characteristic preference, like breast size or athletic build." Washu continued. "Strangely though in solely Juraian 'stock' hair colours are neither dominant nor submissive, they are random based on the parents and ancestry, so it could be any colour that is relatively strong in the family or even a mixture of them. All other human races have dominant or submissive colours."  
  
Sasami raised her hand. "I don't understand Washu-sensei."  
  
Washu nodded. "Okay. Basically in earth humans if your mother had blond hair and your father had black hair then you are more likely to have dark hair. That is the theory anyway. It doesn't always work like that since grandparents and wild genes also factor into it, but that seems to be the pattern. The dark is more dominant that the fair. With skin colour it seems to become an approximation of the two."  
  
"Right," said Sasami, "I think I get it."  
  
"Okay. Well, the other main difference between Juraians and Earth born humans is the life span."  
  
Tenchi mentally groaned. He has asked Washu not to get into the subject of age considering their plans. As interested as he was he could only hope that this section would be a brief one.  
  
"The average Earth human lives for approximately 95 years barring illness or injury, give or take a decade or so." This brought a small gasp from both of the Juraians present.  
  
"Oh Tsunami! Not even a century!" Ayeka couldn't believe it. She sat staring at the table as her mind tried to work out the ramifications of such a short life to live. She found it impossible to comprehend. She looked over at Tenchi. Sasami had clamped herself onto his arm, her eyes shut. He nodded to answer Ayeka's enquiring look. It's true, she thought, and he doesn't even mind! My poor Tenchi-sama!  
  
Ryoko just sat there waiting for the lecture to continue. She was already well aware of human mortality having observed the passing of Tenchi's mother and grandmother. It was one of the reasons she would hover over his bed as he slept. He wouldn't be there for very long.  
  
"So," said Nobuyuki, "how long do Juraians live?" He was worried for his son. It was beginning to sound like if he made a life with any of them they would outlive him by quite a margin, and that would hang over them both. He couldn't wish that on anyone, knowing what it was like to outlive the love of your life by more than is reasonable. Then again, he thought, it would never feel reasonable, however long it was.  
  
Washu coughed slightly to get the attention of her audience again. "That is quite a difficult question actually. The average Juraian lives for approximately eight thousand years. A Juraian year is a little shorter than a human one but not by enough to make a significant difference. It equates as roughly seven thousand seven hundred and ninety human years."  
  
Now it was Tenchi and Nobuyuki's turn to be struck speechless. On earth civilisations rise and fall in that length of time, Tenchi thought. Nobuyuki didn't want to think about it. Not given his previous thoughts.  
  
"This might be a silly question," Tenchi said, "but don't you get bored?"  
  
Washu couldn't help but laugh at that. "Quite frequently Tenchi. Thankfully us rather long lived races have evolved some ways to combat that. I'm older than any Juraian, and I do okay. However, that is just an average Juraian. The offspring of Tsunami, the special trees Jurai has that go into their main ships, require a water rich area, hence the water channels around their planting stations. This water is infused with a level of power thanks to the tree and once bonded with a person the tree can siphon the water's power to them, thus increasing their life span and making them more resistant to disease. With this a Juraian could potentially live up to eighteen thousand years, although the only person on record to do so was Jurai's second emperor."  
  
"A truly great man," said Ayeka. "He was the one to unite the member worlds of the Juraian Empire."  
  
"Wow." Tenchi and Nobuyuki said in unison. Eighteen thousand years was just too much to wrap you mind around.  
  
"To compensate for this Juraians have a much longer development span that humans. The development of a ten-year-old human would take a Juraian approximately 50 years to achieve."  
  
At this everybody started to look at each other. "Wow." The simultaneous reaction gave Washu another chuckle.  
  
"A Juraian is considered an adult in both mind and body by the time they are about one hundred and forty, although for women it is closer to one fifty. Women start puberty earlier and end later than men. They also tend to be more emotionally stable during that time!" Ryoko, Ayeka and Sasami chuckled at that.  
  
"Naturally with such long life spans Juraians don't reproduce quite as vigorously as you earth humans do. As to your question of boredom Tenchi-dono, unlike short lived human species the longer lived ones have certain periods of their lives during which they will go off on a tangent that can drastically alter their lives. The closest you have would be a 'mid life crisis'. For them however it is a good thing, which is often celebrated by the family. The Juraians call them 'Awakenings'. The first one occurs due to the start of puberty thanks to the hormonal imbalance. The second happens at around two hundred and fifty or three hundred years. The third is traditionally at their first thousand, although in truth it often happens a little after that."  
  
"Sometimes people take bets on how close to one thousand a famous person or celebrity will have their third Awakening," said Sasami.  
  
Washu continued. "The fourth will happen around three thousand five hundred. The fifth at about six thousand seven hundred. After that is becomes too varied to tell but it would be about every five thousand years, roughly. Most people don't reach their sixth."  
  
"So what actually happens during one of these 'Awakenings'?" asked Tenchi, now utterly engrossed in the talk.  
  
"Hmmm. The best way to describe it would be an intense sense of restlessness. They would want to break out of their lives and try something totally foreign to them. Many long ruling emperors abdicate during an Awakening unless they are popular enough and get convinced to stay. As I said usually people respect the Awakening. It will often lead to a change in profession, lifestyle, and sometimes even personal taste. In the end it very much depends on the person. Of course this is just Juraians. Other long lived human races have different timings, tendencies and opinions."  
  
"Wouldn't that get awkward though?" asked Nobuyuki. "Just suddenly changing your life like that?"  
  
"Not really," replied Ayeka. "It certainly helps Juraian business and employment, so people can move over and let younger workers in."  
  
"It can be funny though," said Sasami. "Sometimes people can decide to do something that seems really weird for them."  
  
"Yeah," said Ryoko, "and I heard they didn't know Ayeka had had hers till she was finished. She never changed a bit... And 'cos she had no breasts."  
  
"Ryoko how dare you say that! It is simply not true. I was merely not as extravagant as other people." Ayeka crossed her arms under her breasts bringing both males to realise she did indeed have a bust. She was quite indignant about the remark, the insinuation of dullness and mental deficiency clear to her ears.  
  
"You should have been at my third," said Washu, "it was a blast."  
  
"With you I would assume that is literally," deadpanned Tenchi.  
  
"Yeah," she replied, "we blew up the dean's office at the science academy. Took out most of the south tower with that one!" She looked over to see Tenchi looking rather pained at the thought. "Don't worry Tenchi-dono, no-one got hurt. It was a laugh!"  
  
"Wouldn't it be great if you turned into a rock star for your second, eh Ayeka?" laughed Ryoko. "I'd love to see your dad's face then." Most of the others tried visualising it. Laughter soon followed, much to Ayeka's chagrin.  
  
"Actually," said Sasami as her giggles lightened, "When Mummy visited she said some people back on Jurai already think Onee-sama's had her second. It caused a bit of a scandal."  
  
"Sasami!" Ayeka said shocked.  
  
"Yeah, that's right," laughed Ryoko, "you're a royal little hell-raiser now!"  
  
Ayeka fumed. "Ryoko will you shut *up*!"  
  
"Actually Onee-sama," said Sasami, "we were in stasis for a very long time. And you weren't that far off your second when we left. You can see why they would think that. I would if I didn't know better."  
  
"Well they should know better, shouldn't they," Ayeka said, practically steaming, "and at least I didn't go and uproot myself in my damn forties!"  
  
The effect was instantaneous. It was as if the jovial atmosphere had been sucked right out of the room. Each of the aliens immediately fixed their shocked eyes on Ayeka. Tenchi and Nobuyuki didn't know what she had said, but given the reaction they weren't sure they wanted to.  
  
Sasami's face went thick with grief, tears welling up almost instantly at her sister's words. Ayeka's look of angry defiance quickly gave way to horror at what she had said. Had she really said that? And to Sasami? Tsunami what have I done?  
  
Before any more could register Sasami let out a harsh sob and bolted for the stairs, the tears streaming down her face.  
  
"S-Sasami wait I..." But she was gone, leaving the sound of her crying to fill the house.  
  
Within seconds Ayeka felt herself being swung around, followed by a sharp crack to the side of her face.  
  
"How could you?" demanded Washu as she let the princess go.  
  
"B-but... I..." Ayeka floundered with her words. She just couldn't think.  
  
Ryoko, now standing with her fists clenched, glared at her. "That was too fucking low Ayeka," she snarled out. "Even for you." The tone of that shocked Tenchi back to reality. However crude Ryoko could be that was harsh.  
  
Ayeka stammered with her words. "I... I d-didn't... It wasn't..." She was panicking now. She didn't have the answer. She looked over to Tenchi with the eyes of a drowning woman, but he couldn't help her.  
  
"Then why did you say it?" Washu said in a now emotionless voice.  
  
"I didn't mean it," Ayeka begged, "I wasn't thinking..."  
  
"Damn right you weren't!" said Ryoko.  
  
"It just happened! I... I... Sasami." Ayeka turned and ran for the stairs. She had to find her sister.  
  
The rest stayed there in silence. Eventually Ryoko and Washu sat back down.  
  
"Tenchi," Washu said, "you won't want to hear this and I don't mean to disparage Ayeka, even after what she just said, but it would probably be easier if you understood."  
  
"Screw Ayeka," raged Ryoko, "I can't believe she just said that! Especially to Sasami!"  
  
"Neither can I," replied Washu, "and that's why I believe her. We riled her up and she defended herself, but with the wrong weapon against the wrong target, treating Sasami like she would treat someone like Seiryo. Or you."  
  
"I can't believe you're standing up for her!"  
  
"Ryoko, I didn't mean to blow up Georan 6. Doesn't mean it didn't happen." She turned to Tenchi. "The thing with Juraians and several other long lived human species is that genetic traits are very strong. Since they live so long with children being born less frequently evolution can't work the same way it does with you. As such an adaptation a person makes to deal with their life is very easily passed on to their offspring. Children of manual labourers will have a tendency for strength and endurance. For a musician a good ear and artistic outlook."  
  
She paused and looked Tenchi in the eyes. "For prostitutes it is an appealing body and unusually early first awakening. It lets them mature earlier and more 'fully'. You can guess the rest."  
  
"Oh god." Tenchi looked down, then over to Ryoko who nodded sadly.  
  
"I have plenty of data on all of you so I know for a fact Sasami is 46 years old. She shouldn't start her Awakening for another five or ten years." Washu rested her chin on her knuckles. "Given that she did skip planet with Ayeka means the barb is even more damaging though. It's 'evidence' if you know what I mean."  
  
No-one said anything for a while.  
  
Nobuyuki broke the silence. "I guess we just wait and see what they do."  
  
Washu nodded. "Yeah."  
  
***  
  
While the others talked Ayeka burst into the room she shared with Sasami. It was empty except for their belongings and futons. "Sasami."  
  
She stopped and listened. The sobbing could still be heard. She followed it, ending up outside Tenchi's room.  
  
She stood there for a moment, unsure if she could really face her sister. She knocked on the door. When she didn't get an answer she opened it slightly and slipped inside.  
  
"Sasami?" she said quietly, looking at the bed. "May I come in?"  
  
Sasami lay curled up in the bed, holding the covers to her stomach and sobbing into the pillow.  
  
Ayeka hesitated. She really didn't know what to do now. She tentatively walked over to her sister then gathered her up in her arms. "I'm sorry Imouto-chan. I'm so, so sorry."  
  
Sasami struggled for a brief moment before returning the embrace and crying into Ayeka's chest.  
  
Ayeka let her and thanked Tsunami she hadn't run, her own tears now crawling down her face. "Please forgive me Imouto-chan. I never meant to say those things. I... I was just angry at everyone. You know I could never think that about you. Ever."  
  
Sasami shrank into the embrace. "But... but it's true," she cried. "It's all true. I am a sl-slut!"  
  
Ayeka pulled back in shock as her sister's sobs grew again. She held her by her shoulders and looked at her sternly. "Don't you dare think that Sasami! I never wanted to say what I did, and anyone who would think that of you is a monster."  
  
Sasami looked up at her through her reddened eyes. She had to tell her. Only she didn't want to lose her sister. She had almost lost her once when they had found out Tsunami 'made' her. But if they could love her like that...  
  
"I... I started my period."  
  
"What?" This came as something of a shock for Ayeka.  
  
"I started my period a few days ago."  
  
Ayeka looked at her. "A-already?" she asked in a small voice.  
  
Sasami saw the shock in Ayeka's eyes as she nodded. The tears welled up again and she ran for the door, but before she got there Ayeka grabbed her arm and swung her back round into a hug. "It doesn't mean anything," she said has she held her. "I don't care, we all love you no matter what anyone says." Ayeka could feel the relief wash over her sister as they stood there.  
  
"You know," she said as they broke apart, "Mother was a little early too."  
  
"Only a few years," Sasami sniffed.  
  
"It doesn't matter however long it is."  
  
They both sat down on Tenchi's bed. "Are you going to tell the others?" Sasami said nervously. She didn't want her only friends to hate her.  
  
"Of course," said Ayeka cheerily, trying to calm her fears, "We have an Awakening party to have!"  
  
We can at least celebrate something. After this I don't deserve for them to remember anything, she thought.  
  
Sasami smiled but it didn't last. This isn't a good time but I have to ask, she thought. "Onee-sama, would... would you mind if I slept here tonight?"  
  
Ayeka was shattered, but there was no way she could dismiss it after all this. "Of course not. After the way I have behaved I can understand."  
  
"No, no," said Sasami, "it's not that. I just thought it would be fun for a change. And I know you haven't written the next part of the story yet anyway."  
  
That surprised Ayeka. "Oh?"  
  
"You left your note pad out this afternoon."  
  
"You didn't read it did you?" Ayeka asked with mock severity, trying to lighten the atmosphere again.  
  
Sasami shook her head. "No. I wanted you to read it to me."  
  
They both smiled. At least some of the damage had been undone.  
  
***  
  
Later that evening Tenchi sat with Mayuka sleeping in his lap. Mihoshi and Kiyone had arrived and been put in the study for the night, Ayeka and Sasami had made up and it looked like there would be a double celebration tomorrow. One thing was playing across his mind thanks to that incident though. Regrets.  
  
He was happy with his life for the most part, but he was a killer before the age of twenty. That was not normal by any standards and it was once again eating into his conscience. He was now in the habit of carrying the Tenchi-ken with him whenever he went out. Leaving it with his grandfather during the Yuzuha incident had almost got both Ryoko and himself killed, his control over the Light Hawk Wings was so poor.  
  
Kagato. He had intended to kill them for his own gain. A monster of a man with no sense of morality. But Tenchi still wished he hadn't had to kill him. It had made him feel unclean. Made him a murderer. He hated that word.  
  
And then Yuzuha. She had been a dark goddess, using Mayuka as a tool to avenge herself on his grandfather through him. But she hadn't been a monster, just a mind made angry at the world through no fault of her own. That had really caught him.  
  
"I know that look son."  
  
He looked up to see his father standing over him.  
  
"It's not healthy to dwell on those things Tenchi. You know there was nothing else you could have done, whichever one you're thinking about."  
  
"I know," he replied, "this afternoon just stirred everything up again."  
  
Nobuyuki sat down beside him just as Ayeka walked in.  
  
"Tenchi-sama, Nobuyuki-sama, I will be retiring for the night."  
  
"Sure," said Tenchi. "I'm glad you made up with Sasami."  
  
Ayeka smiled a little. "As am I Tenchi-sama. Thank you for looking after her tonight."  
  
"My pleasure," he said.  
  
"Ayeka," Washu said as she passed through, "you mentioned the term 'uprooting'. It find that an interesting name for the Awakening."  
  
Ayeka looked over sadly at her. "It is just a Juraian slang term Washu-chan. Nothing more."  
  
"I see," Washu replied. "Well, goodnight folks." Looks like I need update my scans for Sasami, she though as she left.  
  
"Goodnight," all three of them replied.  
  
"Goodnight Ayeka-san," said Nobuyuki as she turned to leave.  
  
"Goodnight to you both," she replied. She looked up at the ceiling. Ryoko was reclining on her usual beam. "Goodnight Ryoko-san."  
  
"*Hmph*." Ryoko just teleported out.  
  
To Ayeka that hurt more than she would have admitted. Ryoko was the only one who had not forgiven her horrendous outburst. She didn't feel she deserved to be forgiven, but it hurt all the same. More so because it was her of all the other women she had hoped for forgiveness from, however wishful that thought was. She climbed the stairs stoically, forcing the emotion out of her face.  
  
Tenchi turned back to watching his daughter. "Hey Dad. I've kind of been thinking for a while. I don't think I'm going to go back to school. With everything going on here, you know?"  
  
His father sighed. "To be honest I'd been expecting that. With everything that happens around here I doubt you could stay and get the grades without something changing with the girls." He paused for a while. "Perhaps you could get Washu-chan to teach you. We have the universe's greatest scientist here after all. I'm sure you could do anything you wanted with that! You're not confined to this planet any more after all."  
  
Tenchi chuckled dully at that. "Tenchi Masaki, space adventurer! Carrots a speciality!"  
  
They both sat for a while watching Mayuka sleep.  
  
As Tenchi's face began to cloud over again his father spoke up. "Your grandfather would be able to help, give some advice. He was a warrior too apparently."  
  
"I'm not a warrior," Tenchi replied.  
  
Nobuyuki just looked at him. "Perhaps not by choice."  
  
"I don't need cryptic philosophy right now Dad. That's Grandpa's thing."  
  
They lapsed into silence again. Strange, Nobuyuki thought, there is so much going on and so little we can talk about together.  
  
The peace was broken by a scream from upstairs. Both their heads shot towards the sound and Mayuka began to cry noisily at being woken. Tenchi looked back to her to see his father take her from him.  
  
"Go on, I'll take care of this little one," he said as he began rocking her.  
  
Tenchi nodded and dashed upstairs. As he got to his room he heard Sasami sobbing again. He went inside and crouched down next to her. She flung herself into his arms and buried her head in his chest. "Tenchi nii-chan!"  
  
"It's okay Sasami-chan," he said as he held her, "it's okay. It's just a dream. It was only a dream." He prayed whatever it was would stay only a dream.  
  
***  
  
In Ayeka's room she lay curled up on her futon, tears staining her cheeks as she heard Tenchi comfort her sister.  
  
It's all my fault.  
  
***  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
---------------  
  
Please send any comments and criticisms to:  
  
nutzoide@hotmail.com  
  
Or leave them on the archive where you found this story.  
  
If it will help me improve, I want to hear it.  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Well, the last one took months, this took just over a week! Amazing what you can do when you put your mind to it!  
  
If you feel any of the cast are getting out of character then please let me know. I don't want to be butchering such a great group of characters and I am trying to keep the developments as in character as I can.  
  
Also, I've now put the translations in alphabetical order so it is easier to find a specific word when you want to. Many thanks to Benjamin Goldberg for putting me right on several point on Japanese language usage.  
  
Further thanks to everyone who has given me reviews or C&C. You guys and gals are great incentive when sitting down to write!  
  
***  
  
Translation Notes:  
  
-chan: Diminutive honorific. The closest English speakers have is 'little' or 'li'l'. Used for children, very close friends or lovers. A term of affection with the connotation of youth.  
  
-dono: Translated as 'Lord/Lady' or as 'Sir' in the way a knight would be addressed. Can imply martial prestige.  
  
-ken: The name attached is the name of a sword. The Tenchi-ken is the 'Sword Tenchi'. (It can also mean 'technique' or 'fist' when used as a suffix for the name of a move. I probably won't be using it that way in this fanfic though.)  
  
-sama: Formal honorific. Translated as 'Lord' or 'Lady'. Very respectful.  
  
-san: Translated as Mr. or Miss. And so on. Can be used for both family and personal names.  
  
-sensei: Translates as teacher or professor and can be used as a word on its own.  
  
Chibi: Translates as small with the implication of cuteness. I'm using it when describing a super deformed image of someone. Super deformed is when the character is shrunken or squashed, chubby and very cute, as seen used in some anime and manga for comic effect.  
  
Imouto: Meaning 'younger sister' and often used with the '-chan' suffix although other can be used.  
  
Kanji: The Japanese naming characters.  
  
Karaoke: Popular pastime. Music is played along with the lyrics and you sing the song yourself.  
  
Kimono: A traditional Japanese outfit tied round the middle with a wide ribbon or similar length of material called an 'Obi'.  
  
Manga: Japanese comics. There are types for pretty much everybody, not just the children and collectors.  
  
Miso: Bean paste often used in soup. Comes in several varieties.  
  
Mori Tatakai: Literally translates as 'Forest Battle'. I used the Japanese since I designed it as a Jurai thing, not Earth related.  
  
Onee-sama / Onee-chan: Meaning 'elder sister'. The '- sama' variation is respectful and the '-chan' one is more affectionate.  
  
Onii-sama / Onii-chan: As above but meaning brother. Sasami uses the '-chan' variations of both for members the family because she feels affection for them, as family and friends.  
  
(They can also be used without the 'O' at the beginning when placed after someone's name, signifying that that person is their 'brother' or 'sister'. Sasami uses this for the family she is not immediately related to such as Tenchi and those she considers family like Ryoko.)  
  
Onsen: A public or communal bath. Often associated with a hot spring.  
  
Ramen: A noodle broth.  
  
Sake: Japanese rice wine.  
  
Sashimi: Small portions of raw fish.  
  
Sushi: Small portions of raw fish often with vegetables and wrapped in rice and a seaweed sheet.  
  
Tanuki: Smallish Japanese mammal similar to a raccoon (I think). Tanuki statues are often placed outside shops for good luck.  
  
Tempura: A form of deep fried food.  
  
Teriyaki/Sukiyaki: Japanese sauces/marinades.  
  
Wasabi: A hot Japanese horseradish often served on or accompanying sushi.  
  
***  
  
Completed: February 8th - 2003  
  
Posted: March 2nd - 2003  
  
Fanfiction.net revised format version: March 10th - 2003 


	4. Harsh Reflections

Before we start let's get one thing straight: Tenchi Muyo and everything that officially comprises it is owned by AIC and Pioneer. This is unofficial and the story and original characters I create belong to me, so I'd be grateful if you ask before using them in something else. Please, PLEASE don't sue me. I'm only doing this to justify my anime loving existence!  
  
***  
  
Faith, Hope & Carrot Soup  
  
- A Tenchi Muyo Fan-Fiction By Nutzoide -  
  
Chapter 3: Harsh Reflections  
  
It was five in the morning when Tenchi was woken by the heavy rock music blearing into his ears. Awww crap. I'm awake already.  
  
He groped around in the darkness tying to find the alarm radio Washu had given him to make sure he was awake in time to set the party up today. After hitting the off switch he pulled off the wireless earphones and headed over to the bed to wake the girls. Sasami, as she had said, had stayed the night in his room to make sure she didn't wake her sister and Washu had decided to join them to 'keep them company'. She seemed to like finding excuses to have a slumber party in his room.  
  
"Hey Washu, time to get up."  
  
The diminutive scientists scrunched up her face before peering blearily at him through the semi-blackness of the room. "Oh, morning Tenchi-dono. It's time?"  
  
Tenchi nodded then reached over to the other end of the bed and roused Sasami gently. Even so she woke with a start. "Te-Tenchi nii- chan. Is it morning already?"  
  
"Yeah, sure is," he smiled. "We have a party to prepare remember?"  
  
"Mm-hmm. *yawn* Okay! Lets get going."  
  
They both untangled themselves and followed Tenchi downstairs.  
  
"I can't believe I was still asleep," Washu mumbled to herself. "I must be getting tired in my old age."  
  
Sasami had to restrain herself at that or she would have woken the house with her laughter. Tenchi looked up to the large rafter under the ceiling. "Ryoko!" he whispered as loud as he dared. "*Ryoko*!"  
  
After a few seconds Washu floated up, grabbed and gagged her. Ryoko didn't like this one bit. "Mmmffff, mmm rmmmffff."  
  
Washu removed her hand.  
  
"What the hell..." Ryoko mouthed before realising her voice was gone. Her hands flew to her throat and she looked over at Washu accusingly.  
  
"I'll give it back if you promise not to shout, okay Ryoko- chan?" Ryoko glared at her but nodded all the same.  
  
"Good," Washu said, then snapped her fingers and walked over to Tenchi and Sasami, leaving Ryoko to mutter curses under her breath.  
  
"Right," Tenchi said, "Sasami-chan, could you go and wake the others?" The young girl nodded. "Washu-chan, I need you to fetch those boxes from your lab, and Ryoko, could you help me put up the decorations?"  
  
"No problem," she replied, "I can do that."  
  
"Oh, Sasami, could you leave my Dad for another hour or so. I don't think he slept too well last night."  
  
"Sure Tenchi. Shall I fetch Grandpa too?"  
  
Tenchi smirked. "Yeah. I think he can help with this."  
  
Washu headed for her lab and Tenchi and Ryoko pulled the box of decorations out from the kitchen. Sasami padded back up the stairs just to meet Ryo-ohki crawling sleepily down them. The cabbit gave a pitiful, "Miyaa," at being left out and got a free ride in return.  
  
"Let's go Ryo-ohki, we're going to have some fun!"  
  
***  
  
An hour or so later the living room was looking positively festive. Streamers hung from the ceiling, balloons were hovering everywhere and two of Washu's patented 'confetti bombs' were hanging in strategic corners. Thankfully they had been proven non-harmful at Christmas so were used with full permission of the house owner, who was busy re-arranging the furniture with his son.  
  
Sasami, Tsunami and Washu were in the kitchen cooking up a storm, Ryoko was playing with Mayuka who was obviously enjoying the balloons and Katsuhito was showing a now humanoid Ryo-ohki how best to stack presents without a tree to lean them on. Kiyone and Mihoshi were on balloon duty and just about to pass out, not having heard Tenchi saying they had done enough two minutes ago.  
  
"Okay," said Kiyone, now thoroughly out of breath, "no more. We don't want to drown her in floating rubber."  
  
Mihoshi let go of the balloon she was blowing, which zoomed around the room before finding its way onto Katsuhito's glasses. "That's good," she said. "Oooo, my tummy feels weird now."  
  
"There ought to be a machine to do this sort of thing." Kiyone stood up and headed over to Tenchi and Nobuyuki who were admiring the room layout.  
  
"Tenchi, I think we have enough balloons now."  
  
He looked over at her. "Ummm, yeah, okay..." He decided not to tell her about missing his message. "I think we're about ready. Grandpa?"  
  
"I believe Imouto-sama will get the shock of her life." He smiled. "I shall collect the chefs."  
  
Ryo-ohki ran up to Tenchi and gave his knee a hug. "Miya?"  
  
"Yep, I think you can tell them now," he said giving her a pat on the head.  
  
She took off for the stairs, excitement making up for lack of sleep.  
  
The three cooks of the day came out of their kitchen followed by the old prince and everybody took up positions at the base of the stairs while they waited for Ryo-ohki.  
  
Upstairs the cabbit in question gave a cute salute to the two Juraian guardians who had taken position outside Ayeka's room.  
  
"Time for her highness' appearance," Azaka said.  
  
"We should do this more often," replied Kamidake. "It is nice not to have to spend the night at the gate."  
  
Both guardians floated over to Ayeka's bed where she was still sleeping. Azaka gave out a series of short high-pitched tones, "Your highness, it is nine o' clock. Your presence is required downstairs."  
  
"Hmm? What?" Ayeka sat groggily up in her futon and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. They were still a little sore from last night.  
  
"Your presence is required downstairs Highness," said Kamidake. "Please dress and follow us."  
  
Ayeka looked at them worriedly. This was their formal manner. Perhaps I am required to return home, she thought as she dressed herself. Maybe they have decided my punishment for last night. What if Tenchi has chosen between us? I don't want this. Please let it be back the way it was.  
  
She turned back to her guardians, her face a mask of professionalism, and made her way to the living room now wearing her formal Juraian Kimono, escorted by both the guardians and Ryo-ohki. I wonder why she seems so happy. I'm not sure I want to know the answer though.  
  
She made her way down the stairs. When she reached the bottom she was struck dumb by what she saw.  
  
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY AYEKA!" The chorus filled the house. The two confetti bombs exploded showing everyone in streamers and shining paper.  
  
"Wha..? How did you..?" Her own voice felt very small to her.  
  
"We figured it was time to start celebrating everybody else's birthdays too," said Tenchi, "isn't that right Sasami-chan?"  
  
"Uh-huh!" the girl said nodding, "and you're first on the list Onee-sama! Washu helped me work it out."  
  
Ayeka felt a tear escape her eye. "Sasami." She ran to her sister and enveloped her in a hug that would have done her mother proud. "Sasami-chan, you did this even after what I did to you yesterday?"  
  
"Of course, I love you silly!" Sasami replied hugging back. She was used to her mother after all.  
  
Ayeka sniffed and stood back up. "Thank you. Everyone." She looked at them all.  
  
Washu clapped her hands, a silly grin plastered across her face. "Now, who's for breakfast?"  
  
***  
  
After the rather extravagant first meal everyone converged in the living room. Ayeka had been practically forced into the comfiest chair for the next ceremony, still somewhat overwhelmed by the whole thing.  
  
"Now, present time!" crowed Ryoko as she flew onto the sofa, incidentally rather close to Tenchi. Ayeka didn't even notice.  
  
"We decided not to be cruel and make you wait," said Washu, "or else we'll all be too tense to enjoy lunch. And after everything we put into it we *will* enjoy it!"  
  
Ayeka sat staring at the pile of gorgeously wrapped gifts.  
  
Katsuhito leaned over. "I believe they are there for more than decoration," he whispered conspiratorially to her.  
  
Ayeka nodded. "Yes, of course." She reached for the top of the pile, a simple rectangle slightly wider on the top than the bottom.  
  
"Oh," piped Mihoshi, "that's mine! I mean, that's the one from me!"  
  
Ayeka carefully removed the paper revealing a selection of books; one on the Jurai royal gardens, a rather good romance novel and a set of collected manga.  
  
"I didn't really know which to get you so I though I'd get all of them," Mihoshi said.  
  
Ayeka gave a light giggle. "Thank you very much Mihoshi-san. Actually I have been wondering how the gardens back home have changed."  
  
"Oh, you're welcome," replied the blonde.  
  
Next was a small square one with Katsuhito's distinctive signature on the card.  
  
"I thought you would enjoy these during or after your chores," he said as she unwrapped it. "I find them very relaxing."  
  
Inside it was a rather varied collection of music CDs, all of which were from classical Earth composers. It would be interesting to see what they were like. She hadn't listened to much music while on Earth.  
  
"Thank you very much Onii-sama. I'm sure I will enjoy them."  
  
She rarely called him 'brother' any more due to his role as grandfather of the family. It suited him fine, but hearing it still made him smile.  
  
"I think you should probably open mine next," said Nobuyuki. "It's the bulky red one this side."  
  
The box in question turned out to be a rather pricey brand of portable CD player.  
  
"I'm sure Washu-chan can rig it so you don't need batteries, but if Father got you music you should have something decent to play it on."  
  
"Yes, it would make sense. Thank very much Nobuyuki-san." She carefully placed it beside the CDs and took the next gift from the pile. She could tell it was another set of books, but coming from Washu they turned out to be quite a surprise.  
  
"Everything you need to keep that garden out back going," said the red haired genius as she sat on one of her floating cushions.  
  
Out of curiosity Ayeka opened one of them to find every square centimetre of space filled with little hand written notes and chibi- Washus performing various gardening feats, such as hitting giant slugs with equally giant mallets.  
  
Ayeka couldn't help but smile. Washu always made her contributions known. "Thank you Washu-chan, these will be very useful I'm sure."  
  
Then came Kiyone's gift. It was a small box that, once unwrapped, proved impossible to open.  
  
"I'm sure it is lovely Kiyone-san, whatever it is," Ayeka said as she tried to defeat the opening catch.  
  
When they had finally got the thing open courtesy of one of Sasami's kitchen knives the item inside turned out to be a very delicate watch. Ayeka held it up to admire it, "It's very pretty," she said before fastening it around her left wrist.  
  
"I noticed that you didn't actually have one of your own," Kiyone said.  
  
"Yes, thank you Kiyone-san, it is very nice indeed."  
  
Kiyone nodded then turned to see what the next one would be.  
  
It was almost hesitantly that Ayeka reached for the package that bore Ryoko's name. It was very light and rather hastily wrapped. She looked over to the pirate, who seemed to be curious as to her reaction but grew a rather large grin as she started to unwrap it, causing her no small amount of unease, especially given the events of the previous night. When the gift revealed itself however it became blatantly obvious there was nothing worse than Ryoko's usual mischief intended here, and she soon lost the battle with her blush as she saw the lacy pair of knickers.  
  
Ryoko cracked up at the reaction. It was definitely the one she had wanted and was worth the embarrassment the shop owner had put her through to get them.  
  
As Ayeka held them up it became apparent to the others what the big joke was. The panties in question had the kanji 'Ten' on the front and 'Chi' on the back, 'Heaven' and 'Earth' respectively. Tenchi went bright red and Nobuyuki snapped a picture of them as he laughed.  
  
"Ryoko," she said, "this is positively crude!" She couldn't keep the straight face long as an image entered her mind. "I will have to let my father catch me wearing them!"  
  
Everyone chose that moment to break into laughter.  
  
"I bet Daddy wouldn't know what to say," said Sasami through her laughter, "and Mummy would love it!"  
  
As fun and silly as the gift was Ayeka knew Ryoko had said a lot with it. There was more than one way it could be interpreted, and she could respect the trust Ryoko had show in going through with it.  
  
"For... Forgiven?" she asked her best rival.  
  
"Hey," said Ryoko rather hesitantly, "it's not like I never did anything wrong. Err, anyway that was just for a laugh, I'll go get your real present."  
  
This left all the others in surprise as she phased out, with the possible exception of Tsunami who just smiled, and Ryo-ohki who started to play 'Peek-a-boo' with Mayuka, giggling on the floor.  
  
When Ryoko phased back again she was holding a purple wrapped box which she carefully gave to Ayeka. Ayeka took it with the same care. If Ryoko was going to be delicate with anything then it certainly needed it. Under the wrapping the box didn't give anything away through its plain brown exterior. She opened the top and carefully removed the object.  
  
When it was it plain view Tenchi turned to Ryoko. "You said it wasn't going to be rude,"  
  
Ryoko wilted a little.  
  
"But it sure is beautiful," he finished. Ryoko smiled as she sat back up and looked over to Ayeka who was admiring it carefully.  
  
It was an immaculately cut glass figurine of a nude fairy sitting on a leaf, her wings stretched out behind her.  
  
"Yes Tenchi-sama, it is beautiful. Thank you Ryoko."  
  
"Well, it just kind of looked right. You know, 'cos you're graceful and... stuff." She scratched her head. "I'm still sort of new to this but I thought it was right."  
  
"You chose very well Ryoko," Ayeka told her.  
  
Ryo-ohki turned to Ryoko. "Miya."  
  
"Huh? Oh, yeah right, your present. We'll be back in a sec," said Ryoko. "You guys keep going." The two of them phased out. Washu, seeing Mayuka was now lacking a playmate, scooped her up and sat her on her lap for the rest of the gift-giving.  
  
Next up was Tenchi's present, the bracelet. When she saw it she could help but think how lovely it was. Pretty but not extravagant. She slowly fastened it around her right wrist and admired it for a bit, then got up and walked over to Tenchi.  
  
"Thank you Tenchi-sama," she said, then kissed him lightly on the cheek. When they both looked at each other again they were blushing and it was the click of Nobuyuki's camera that let Ayeka know she was still in company. A photo to remember, she thought as she sat back down.  
  
She was reaching for the last remaining gift when Ryoko and Ryo-ohki appeared again. In natural Ryoko fashion she floated right into Tenchi's lap. Seeing Ayeka's surprised and rather disapproving look she playfully stuck her tongue out at her, then closed her eyes and gave Tenchi a lick on the face. It quite surprised her to hear the others chuckling rather than the reprimand from Ayeka she had hoped for. A quick light argument was always good for working herself back into a crowd, but she must have missed something this time. And what was that strange texture..?  
  
Tenchi wiped two fingers down his cheek, looked at them, then showed them to Ryoko. She let out a disgusted '*Gack*!' before phasing out again, intent on pouring a whole tube of toothpaste down her throat. Tenchi looked at the smears of Ayeka's lipstick on his fingers. Looks like it backfired on you this time Ryoko, he thought.  
  
Ayeka was still chuckling as she took the gift from Ryo- ohki. This one was a small broach with a dark pink glass 'gem', a good match for her eyes. She smiled as she fastened it to her front. "Thank you Ryo-ohki. It's very nice."  
  
Ryo-ohki bowed her head modestly. "Miyaa." She sat back down, this time with Tenchi, and waited for the next unwrapping.  
  
The last gift was Tsunami's. She marvelled at it as the dress came out of its box. The embroidery was immaculate and it was an amazing likeness to her Mori Tatakai costume. It was as thought the two should have come as a set.  
  
"Tsunami, did you really find this here? Was it one you created?"  
  
Tsunami smiled. "No, I can assure you I came across this quite honestly in the town. I was very surprised to find it and thought you would find it pleasing."  
  
"Are you going to try it on Onee-sama?" asked Sasami.  
  
Ayeka nodded and got up. "I think I shall. I will be back in a moment."  
  
A few minutes later she returned. The dress was a perfect fit.  
  
"That's really pretty Ayeka," said Mihoshi as she came in.  
  
Sasami and Tsunami both glowed and Sasami let out a giggle. "It's great."  
  
"Yeah, it really suits you," said Tenchi in admiration, trying to keep his eyes where they should be.  
  
"Not too shabby princess," came Ryoko's voice from the door. Ayeka turned to see her, hoping she wouldn't start a scene over the lipstick. "I'll let you have this one," Ryoko said as she passed. "Wouldn't want to mess up that dress."  
  
Ayeka smiled and nodded.  
  
"My present now," said Sasami and she ran past the two girls and up the stairs. A moment later she came down with a carefully wrapped rectangle that was over half her own size.  
  
As she brought it in they could feel sense of peace and contemplation fill the room. She handed it to her sister who careful unwrapped it.  
  
Inside was a fantastic picture of both Ayeka and Sasami. It looked as though it were a slightly stylised photograph rather than a painting. Sasami was wearing a strange Juraian outfit with a scandalously short skirt, held a heart tipped wand and was standing in a cute victory pose. Behind her sat Ayeka in her lightest royal garb with a paper and pencil, evidently thinking of the Sasami character. She also had two little Ryokos with her, one on each shoulder. One was dressed as a little innocent angel, the other as a cutely crafty devil.  
  
"It's amazing Sasami," said Ayeka as she looked at it.  
  
"Tsunami's been showing me how to paint with emotions," Sasami said. "You can write so well I wanted to do something too. It's like thinking the colour onto the paper instead of using paint. It feels like when you make a force field with a tree key." She brought out the trigger- like key she still had from when Tsunami had been in tree form, like the headpiece Ayeka wore. "Does it make you feel sort of calm and thoughtful?"  
  
"Yes, it does," Ayeka replied, still entranced by the picture.  
  
"Good," Sasami said, "that's what it's supposed to do. I didn't really know if I got it right. Umm... I put the Ryokos in last night. I hope you don't mind, Tsunami said I should keep them."  
  
Washu peered at the picture, then at the young princess. "I might have to take some readings when you do another one of these Sasami- chan. This is impressive."  
  
Sasami smiled in response.  
  
Ayeka looked over at her sister. "It's lovely Imouto-chan, thank you."  
  
"That's okay," Sasami said, still smiling. She looked to Tsunami knowing that she was smiling too. It worked.  
  
***  
  
The karaoke contest that evening had lasted well into the night thanks to great food, plenty of alcohol and a seemingly endless list of songs, all judged by Nobuyuki, Katsuhito, Ryo-ohki and (ostensibly) Mayuka. The amount of cake Ryoko had managed to consume during the contest was amazing.  
  
It had rather surprisingly been Kiyone who had won the night this time round. As much as she loved singing the usual scoring was never kind to her. Ryoko had come a respectable second thanks mostly to a slow sake-induced song which held a great deal of heart. Tenchi as usual came last being somewhat less than musically inclined, but was a good sport about it none the less.  
  
The next morning was generally deemed too painful by consensus thanks to a large selection of hangovers which Sasami and Ryo- ohki went about nursing for them all. By ten however everyone was up and starting to feel better after coffee and Washu's medicinal supplies had gone round. It was Ryo-ohki who suggested, using Ryoko as an interpreter, that a trip to the local park would be good before lunch so everyone could feel better now the sun was out. This was fine by all of them since the living room needed airing out having been used all day (and a fair bit of the night too) and Mihoshi, in an instance of inspiration, had suggested that she and Kiyone take the birthday *and* the day after off since they would likely be in no shape to start work.  
  
Half an hour later the park in question was bombarded by the unusual residents of the Masaki household who quickly, as was usual when they all took a trip out, became the centre of attention. Sasami and Ryo- ohki, who was passing herself off as a rare breed of rabbit, had decided that Tenchi was going to back up his defence of the Earth game 'football', or 'soccer' as the Americans called it. As such Tenchi had brought his old ball and some extra bokkens to serve as goalposts. After leaving Mayuka with Ryo-ohki to guard her they split themselves into two teams of five and Tenchi told them the basic rules.  
  
After fifteen minutes of explanation (and in Mihoshi's case re-explanation) they broke up and took their positions. On one side was Tenchi, Ryoko, Katsuhito, Washu and Nobuyuki in goal. The other was Sasami, Kiyone, Mihoshi, and Ayeka with Tsunami taking goal-keeping duty.  
  
They had soon gathered a small crowd of spectators, initially from having lots of brightly coloured hair flying about, all of whom quickly took their side to shout for. While Nobuyuki was not the most sporty of people his father-in-law soon proved that the family wasn't to be taken lightly and made an early goal, much to Tsunami's apparent surprise. After that everyone seemed to get into the feel of the game and it became obvious that Tenchi's team was the better of the two, Ryoko and Washu both being fast with the ball and Tenchi taking after his grandfather in his accuracy. Ayeka on the other hand was surprisingly agile considering her choice of clothing but seemed to have a problem getting the ball to go where she wanted it. It was Sasami and Kiyone who ended up carrying their side, the former turning out to have good passing skills to complement the latter's formidable shooting and volley work. Mihoshi unfortunately had a problem keeping the ball at her feet so stayed in defence to support Tsunami, whose goal-keeping was excellent considering she barely moved much of the time. Tenchi began to suspect she wasn't completely keeping to the 'no powers in public' rule but the spectators never seemed to notice.  
  
After almost half an hour of the game they had to call it time after Sasami almost collapsed with exhaustion, conceding that it wasn't a bad game after all. The final score had been seven to Tenchi's team and four to Sasami's. The crowd that had built up celebrated and commiserated with them before going back to their lives, with Ryoko, Kiyone and Tsunami having been asked for autographs and all of the older girls having had at least one request for a phone number. Washu pouted at that, having spent the time looking like a twelve year old.  
  
Five of the spectators however had stuck around. Koribashi, a friend of Nobuyuki's from work, engaged both him and Katsuhito with questions about the next project and whether he could see their house since Nobuyuki has designed it himself. As usual it was a 'perhaps but some other time, we have guests'.  
  
Sasami was approached by three other girls who looked around her age and they all ended up playing with Ryo-ohki and Mayuka and sharing silly stories under the eyes of their parents. Tsunami took the role of Sasami's 'guardian' and took the opportunity to talk with the other women, which she found most enlightening.  
  
It was Kiyone and Mihoshi who were approached by the last one. It was Shoji, carrying his camera and a large notebook in the bag under his arm. "Hi there, that was quite a match."  
  
"Shoji-san, hi!" Mihoshi said as she saw him. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Besides watching the football? I guess it's nominally called work. I'm almost finished with the article, and you guys make great photo subjects." He pointed his camera lazily at Mihoshi and took her picture, which got him a cute smile and giggle in return.  
  
"So how have you been doing?" Kiyone asked.  
  
"Fine really," he replied, "just finishing this piece then maybe take a few days off before I get another assignment."  
  
At this point Ayeka caught sight of him and decided to sate her curiosity. "So Kiyone-san, who might this be? The rumoured date you mentioned?"  
  
"Date?" Ryoko could have rather good hearing when she wanted to. "Kiyone you have a date? Since when?"  
  
Kiyone sighed. "I *had* a date. Shoji this is Ryoko Hakubi and Ayeka Jurai. The boy just coming up is Tenchi Masaki."  
  
Shoji looked mildly surprised. "You mean Masaki as in the Masaki Shrine up on the hill?"  
  
Tenchi bowed to him. "Yes as it happens, we live just below it. I didn't realise we were that famous though. We don't get many visitors nowadays."  
  
"This is Shoji Mugai, and yes he *was* my date and now *is* a friend," Kiyone said finishing the introductions.  
  
"Nice to meet you Shoji-san," said Ayeka.  
  
Ryoko nodded. "Hi."  
  
Shoji bowed back to the three new faces. "Yeah, actually believe it or not your shrine is talk of the town quite often. It has been for over a year and you've almost single-handedly brought tourism up by a quarter. Rumour has it the demon there has gotten loose, and that's what causes all the explosions and so on up there. Any chance of an exclusive?"  
  
"Shoji writes for some magazines," Kiyone explained with a nod from Mihoshi.  
  
Tenchi chuckled. "Yeah sure; the demon is loose, her evil captor is dead and she chases princesses up there."  
  
The girls raised their eyebrows as Tenchi and Shoji laughed. Tenchi had, in a way, told the complete truth and there was no way in hell the journalist would think it was any more than a ridiculous joke. And he obviously found it quite amusing.  
  
"I'll have to get that printed," Shoji said. "Maybe I can get my artist friend to draw up a manga page for it!"  
  
"Well," said Tenchi "I suppose Grandpa will be glad of the advertising. Like I said we don't get many visits to the shrine now."  
  
Shoji nodded. "To be quite frank they're scared to go up in case they get blown up by that demon of yours. Are there really explosions up there?"  
  
Ayeka nodded sadly. "Unfortunately yes. Not at the shrine but the house." She looked over at Ryoko as if to say 'you see what you get us into?'  
  
"Hey, don't look at me," said Ryoko, "it's er... that little monster over there." She pointed over at Washu who was talking with Katsuhito and the two architects, and incidentally getting their work concepts about a decade further down the line than they were to begin with.  
  
"It's all her chemical stuff making the explosions." Technically she wasn't lying, she just didn't say which explosions.  
  
Shoji looked at the short red haired girl for a second. "Err... Isn't she a little young to be making fireworks or whatever?"  
  
Mihoshi giggled. "No, she's really smart for a little girl!"  
  
Kiyone looked helplessly at him. "Well, she's pretty advanced for her age."  
  
Washu, having overheard their conversation, excused herself and walked purposefully over to them. "Hi, I'm Washu Hakubi. You're the guy Kiyone went out with huh?"  
  
"Uh, yeah. Shoji Mugai. Pleased to meet you Washu-chan." He didn't really know what to make of her.  
  
"Ah! See, he got it right first time!" Washu crowed triumphantly.  
  
Ryoko caught the bewildered look on his face. "Don't ask."  
  
Washu whacked Ryoko on the backside with a bokken, presumably an ex-goalpost. "Be nice."  
  
Shoji frowned and leaned down to look Washu right in the eyes, which startled her a little.  
  
"You know," he said, "if I hit *my* mother like that I'd have been locked under the stairs 'till I was sorry enough."  
  
To his surprise the others all fell about laughing at that. All except Washu who was somewhat stupefied by the statement.  
  
She did however love the opportunity it presented. It was just too perfect to pass up. "Well my mummy loves me too much to do that, don't you Mummy?" she said and latched onto Ryoko's arm.  
  
Ryoko stopped laughing and tried in vain to pry her off. "Hey what are you..? Stop that you little runt!"  
  
Washu turned the cute level up to full. "Aww Mummy, come on, I want to play." She started dragging her 'mother' off much to Ryoko's perturbation. Washu was a lot stronger than she looked.  
  
Shoji just stood there bewildered as they left. "Okay, I'm lost," he said as the other laughed.  
  
"Don't worry," said Tenchi, "they'll be fine."  
  
"They like each other really," said Mihoshi. "They're just a being bit silly."  
  
"Oh right, entertainment for the guest, huh?"  
  
"Yeah!" Mihoshi nodded. "They like playing around."  
  
"I see." He thought that was an interesting way to look at it considering the rather forceful attitudes the two had had. I wonder what it's like when they argue. "Actually" he said, "if I may I was wondering something when you were playing."  
  
"Sure, what is it?" said Kiyone.  
  
"What's with the hair? Are you in a rock group or something?"  
  
It was Ayeka who came to the rescue on that. "No, it is purely a cultural decision. It is based around a person's level of responsibility." She knew that if it were cultural it would just be accepted rather then made subject to debate as a matter of civility.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry," he said, "I didn't realise it was like that."  
  
"No offence taken," Ayeka replied. "It is not a common custom, but allowed us to know what each person was to do at a time of crisis."  
  
Strange, but it does make sense I suppose, Shoji thought. "So where are you from originally?"  
  
"It was an isolated town in the mountains to the north," Ayeka said working on the fly now. "We have since moved back into Japanese society, so it is no longer there."  
  
"Oh, I thought you would be from overseas." Shoji shrugged. "I would have liked to visit it now I know. Oh well."  
  
They continued to talk, with Ryoko and Washu soon returning, until Sasami's playmates had to leave and they decided it was time for lunch. Shoji decided to take them to a restaurant he knew nearby. He rather liked the strange group and it wouldn't hurt to make a favourable impression. He might just get an exclusive story from the shrine as well as some good, if rather unusual friends.  
  
***  
  
It was getting on to late afternoon when the troop returned to the house. Tsunami and Katsuhito disappeared off to the shrine and Nobuyuki headed up to the study to make up for the day off. The others spent the time in front of the TV until Sasami left to prepare the dinner, at which point Tenchi brought up the matter of the chores for the day, most of which concerned clean up duty from yesterday.  
  
"This is why you always have parties at someone else's place," grumbled Ryoko as she collected the deflating balloons and stray streamers.  
  
"Yes mother," said Ayeka with a great deal of amusement.  
  
"Hey, don't start with that crap again princess. I..." The rest of the rant was drowned out as Ayeka started the hoovering. Ryoko stood there and fumed before throwing her junk into the large bin bag they had. With each balloon she had to burst it first and, being in the mood she was now in, she did them by hand. Unfortunately this meant plenty of high- speed rubber in the face and by the time she was done she had vowed to get Ayeka back for the jab.  
  
Ayeka on the other hand was rather enjoying the task. Although monotonous it felt far less of a bore than dusting or washing, and she couldn't see what Ryoko had such a problem with. All she had to do was get the big stuff the vacuum cleaner couldn't manage. Honestly, you would think she could deal with a simple cleaning task like this. It's hardly the end of the world, she thought as Ryoko pelted another handful of paper at the bag.  
  
When they were finished Ayeka decided to go for a walk in the woods out at the back of the house to pass the time until dinner.  
  
Great, thought Ryoko, payback for that 'Mummy' stuff. I'll deal with Washu later princess, you get to go first.  
  
***  
  
Ayeka hit the ground hard. Fine Ryoko, if that is the way you want it.  
  
The argument had been short and far from sweet. Ryoko was pissed for all the teasing she had taken over the last five hours and Ayeka had just had a very pleasant walk rudely interrupted in the least pleasant way possible, namely from an energy bolt and some heated abuse.  
  
"Time for that ass kicking I promised you," Ryoko growled out as she flung another sphere of energy.  
  
Ayeka dodged the blast and called up her combat logs only to take a hard kick from the pirate. Ryoko followed up with a knee to the stomach, smashing Ayeka into a tree, her next punch cracking into the wood as the princess ducked away.  
  
Electricity began to ark between the small wooden cylinders surrounding the spot Ayeka had just vacated and she sent the high voltage current straight into Ryoko, throwing her on her back. Ayeka guided them down and set the charge to hold her fallen foe. Ryoko felt the constricting field snap on and braced herself for the shock. After the pain faded she tore self out and headed straight for Ayeka, flying fast to ram her down.  
  
Ayeka moved just too slowly and the impact sent her spinning to the ground as Ryoko flew for another pass, hurling an energy bolt at her as she did. Ayeka threw up her force field in time to shield her from the blast and moved in with a field enhanced swing as Ryoko flew by again, knocking her out of the air. Ryoko wasn't down for long though and tackled her opponent to the ground.  
  
The two rolled around exchanging sloppy blows until Ryoko flipped Ayeka over her head and took to the air again. She effortlessly dodged another electrical charge and rained down a few more energy balls as Ayeka ran, then made a dive to take her off her feet.  
  
Ayeka rolled with the impact and extended a few of her logs getting a good whip at Ryoko's back and forcing her back to the ground. She threw a small force field at her making her reel and got the now whip-like logs to hold her as she sent another electrical charge down them. This time Ryoko broke through the bonds as her sword flashed briefly into existence before going for another charge. Ayeka was surprised to see Ryoko's sword out in one of their fights, however fierce it was, and that was enough of a hesitation for Ryoko to floor her. They grappled with each other until Ayeka caught Ryoko in the side with a knee and forced them both to their feet in a powerful game of mercy, gripping each others' hands in an attempt to force the other to back down.  
  
It was then that Ayeka noticed the frenzied expression that Ryoko wore. Tsunami, her face, she thought to her patron deity, she's really gone mad.  
  
"Ryoko," she yelled as she fought to keep her hands strong, "what's going *ooffff*." Ryoko's knee slammed into Ayeka's midriff knocking them apart and 'shrine demon' flew backwards, an energy ball in each hand.  
  
Ryoko glared down and release the two glowing globes, each leaving a shockwave as they leapt forward.  
  
Ayeka, now terrified, raised another force field. It snapped into existence just as the bolts met it and the balls of energy found themselves caught in between the field waves. They flew around the shield as the waves tried to force them both in and out of their space at the same time, like opposing magnets attempting to repel each other. When the two bolts met they broke through the field, and the resulting explosion hurled both combatants away.  
  
Ryoko picked herself off the ground and shook her head. "Oooh, guess I went a little overboard there," she said to herself a little dazed. She looked over towards the princess who was on her hands and knees on the path. Well, I won this one princess. I wonder what the hell happened then anyway.  
  
As she walked over she could see Ayeka shaking, a few muffled whimpering sounds coming from her. What, she's crying? Jeez grow up, serves you right for that all that crap you said.  
  
"Hey, told you so. A little prissy girl like you could... hardly..." It was as she came round to the path that she saw the blood. Ayeka was doubled over on her knees, her hands grasping feebly at her throat and chest at the blood poured from her. A huge gash crossed her neck, the fluid pumping through her hands and down her front as she gasped and choked, desperate to get air into her lungs. Ryoko stared in horrified panic at the sight, completely unable to think. She had seen things like this in battle, but that was before, it couldn't be happening now. A retching cough brought Ryoko to her senses and she rushed to Ayeka's side as the blood spilled from her mouth.  
  
"Oh Goddess, Ayeka, you-you'll be okay, wha...what do I do?" Ayeka flinched violently as Ryoko tried to touch her, which only made the convulsions worse.  
  
Ryoko panicked before realising there was nothing she could do. "H-hang on Ayeka, I'll get help. Don't die." She phased out.  
  
Ayeka was in shock. All she could feel was the wet slippery sense of her blood in her hands. It was all she could smell, taste, touch, see. She could feel her throat burn and her lungs grow heavy as the thick red fluid slowly filled them. She felt a touch outside and recoiled as fast as she could. She had to get away. No more, she pleaded, please no more!.  
  
The pain hit and she folded up again, her blood drenched hands at her chest as she tried to breathe through the pain. Please Tsunami, she thought as the world started to fade away, Tenchi, Sasami, protect them.  
  
Then she lost consciousness.  
  
***  
  
Washu was knocked to the ground by the force of the scream. She rarely used the link now, it was just a background feeling that kept her in touch with her daughter. Now it was open all the way as Ryoko screamed across it.  
  
She tried sending back but Ryoko just kept broadcasting pain, guilt and fear as loud as she could. Washu rushed out of her lab and found Ryoko careering towards the door, not being able to phase between dimensions into the lab.  
  
Ryoko practically bowled her over in panic before crying something incomprehensible.  
  
"Ryoko what? What is it? Slow down and speak properly."  
  
"It's Ayeka, she needs help, come on!"  
  
"Ryoko, what's happened? What do you mean?"  
  
"AYEKA'S DYING! COME *ON*!" she screamed at her.  
  
Washu's eyes widened in shock before the professionalism set in and she phased out, followed by Ryoko.  
  
From the living room Tenchi bolted outside, followed by the two Galaxy Police detectives. Nobuyuki looked worriedly from the window upstairs while Tsunami held the screaming and struggling Sasami, trying to work out why this had happened.  
  
***  
  
Washu and Ryoko appeared on the path followed closely by Ryo- ohki.  
  
"By the good Goddess!" Washu whispered as she saw Ayeka lying in the pool of blood.  
  
"DO SOMETHING!" screamed Ryoko, but Washu already had her laptop out and within seconds Ayeka had been encased in a crystallised stasis field.  
  
Washu walked over and started to examine her.  
  
"What are you *doing*? You've got to help her!" Ryoko cried.  
  
Washu looked over at her. "She's in stasis. We've got all the time in the world. She's still alive. It's a good thing you got me as soon as you did." She gave a sigh. "What happened?"  
  
"We... we were just having a fight. But something happened. I threw some energy balls and they got... stuck! They got stuck to her force field and started spinning around it... Then it just exploded."  
  
Ryo-ohki walked up to the crystal and laid a hand on it sadly. She looked up at Washu.  
  
"She'll be fine," Washu said smiling down gently. "I can fix her."  
  
It was then that Tenchi and the others reached them.  
  
Washu looked over at them in alarm. "Where's Sasami?"  
  
Tenchi skidded to a halt and looked around franticly. Ryo- ohki gave a "Miya miyaa".  
  
"She's with Tsunami," Ryoko said for her.  
  
"Good," Washu said quietly as she went back to Ayeka.  
  
Mihoshi went up to the crystal slowly, tears growing in her eyes. "Is she going to be okay Washu-sensei?"  
  
"Yep, she'll be right as rain when I'm done with her," Washu said, far more cheerfully than she felt.  
  
"That's good," Mihoshi said as she broke into tears. Kiyone wrapped an arm round her and lead her off.  
  
"We'll be back at the house," she said. "Call me if you need any help."  
  
Tenchi lowered his eyes from the Ayeka's crystal. "What did you do?" he bit out at Ryoko.  
  
Ryoko flinched at his tone and started to tear up again. "It was an accident, I swear. I didn't mean to do it. We were just fighting and my energy balls went weird and Ayeka got..."  
  
"WHAT THE *HELL* WERE YOU DOING THROWING STUFF LIKE *THAT* AT AYEKA?" he yelled at her, causing her to shrink back.  
  
"They were only weak ones," Ryoko said, "like the ones we usually use. They weren't supposed to hurt her like that."  
  
"WHAT? THEY'RE *WEAPONS* RYOKO. THEY'RE DESIGNED TO *KILL* PEOPLE, and you nearly *did* kill her!"  
  
"I'm sorry!" she whimpered, tears spilling down her face.  
  
Washu looked over at them. "I think Ayeka's the one you'll need to say that to Ryoko. And Tenchi, if what happened is what I think it was then she's right, it wouldn't take a lot of energy. I'll get her to my lab." She tapped her laptop and phased out along with Ayeka.  
  
Tenchi looked at Ryoko with a mixture of anger and disappointment before walking off.  
  
Ryoko fell to her knees and cried. As Ryo-ohki sat down beside her she had a thought. How am I going to face Sasami?  
  
***  
  
She walked through the glass doors several minutes later. Washu had briefed the others on what had happened and Kiyone looked up at her neutrally while Mihoshi actually shifted in her seat when she saw her, the tears still staining her cheeks.  
  
"It was only an accident right Ryoko?" she asked. She was almost pleading for that to be the case.  
  
Ryoko nodded, not trusting her voice. Mihoshi gave a tentative smile and Kiyone looked back down sadly.  
  
"Where... Where's Sasami?" Ryoko asked.  
  
"In her room," Kiyone replied, still looking at the floor.  
  
Ryoko nodded and walked slowly up the stairs and paused outside Sasami and Ayeka's room. She shouldn't show her face here, but she had to. Slowly she slid the door open and saw Sasami and Tsunami sitting there, the former crying as the latter held her.  
  
"Sa... Sasami?"  
  
Sasami jerked her head up. "WHY DID YOU DO IT?" she screamed as the tears poured down her face. "HOW COULD YOU?" She ran up to Ryoko and began beating her fists against her. "YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE FRIENDS! I THOUGHT WE WERE *FRIENDS*!" Ryoko took the hits as Sasami let out her anger. They soon tapered off and she buried her head in Ryoko's stomach.  
  
Ryoko held her uncertainly. "I'm sorry Sasami-chan. I'm so, so sorry."  
  
Sasami just wept. Ryoko looked up to see Tsunami looking at them both. She didn't show any emotion at all. As far as Ryoko knew that was as bad a look as she had ever given. She didn't know what it meant though, and prayed it wasn't anger.  
  
***  
  
Laughter echoed around the wooden ship.  
  
"They really are a pair aren't they!" said the onlooker. The humanoid machine was again at his side, only now it was adorned with an unpleasant looking blade on its left arm and its legs and feet now looked capable of very athletic movement. It rattled off a set of noises.  
  
"Fine, fine," the man chuckled, "there is no need for it to work any different, just set the levels higher."  
  
The machine bleeped again and seemed to relax its stance.  
  
"I must say," he said, "I hardly expected this so soon. We may be able to finish earlier than we thought."  
  
Another machine approached, this one far more insectoid in appearance. It handed the man a sheaf of paper and bleeped. He quickly scanned over the document.  
  
"Why so long?"  
  
The machine gave of a ream of clicks and bleeps.  
  
"Five hours. Take any available help, just get it done. I have no desire to remain defenceless up here."  
  
The machine bleeped again and strode away. The humanoid one gave an inquisitive set of noises.  
  
"I can't see why not," he said in reply. "Five hours will be more than enough. I am still unsure though, it will be far less efficient."  
  
The machine 'looked' downwards and bleeped.  
  
The man smiled, "Very well then." He got up and set a small floating device to watch the screen. "Inform me of the princess' status. If she dies we move to contingency A. Otherwise continue as planned."  
  
He turned and the walked off into the bowels of the ship. The humanoid machine followed. "Now then Syren, what sort of voice did you have in mind?"  
  
***  
  
Tenchi, Katsuhito, Mihoshi and Kiyone sat in the medial section of Washu's lab staring at Ayeka's now un-crystallised body. Washu said the re-constructive surgery had gone without a hitch, especially since Tsunami had assisted in stabilising her when bringing her out of stasis. Several machines still covered her neck rebuilding the tissue.  
  
Katsuhito looked over at his grandson and sighed before rising. It seemed the answers to this were not the ones they should have been. He left to meditate on the situation after giving a silent prayer for his sister's well being. He often played the enlightened sage for his own amusement, now it was time to do it for real. Being angry with Ryoko wouldn't help the situation, and, Tsunami forgive him, he *was* angry.  
  
Tenchi just stared sadly at her. This was the last way he wanted to see her. Only yesterday she had been so alive, and now that had almost been changed for good. His thoughts kept straying to Sasami. She had been persuaded that the best way to help was to make sure everybody got to eat, so now she and Washu tried to comfort each other as they cooked. Washu herself was in pain through Ryoko, who hadn't been seen for a while now.  
  
"Tenchi-san, maybe you should go and get some rest. It won't do you any good worrying like this. She'll be okay," came Kiyone's voice.  
  
"I can't just leave her," he replied.  
  
"Kiyone's right Tenchi," said Mihoshi. "We'll stay and watch her, and we'll call you when she wakes up."  
  
Tenchi sighed. They were right, "Okay, I'd better go and find Ryoko anyway."  
  
Mihoshi nodded and he left the room.  
  
"Kiyone," Mihoshi said, "why did you make him leave and not us? Besides so we can watch for when she wakes up I mean."  
  
"He'll just worry himself sick if he doesn't do anything," Kiyone explained. "He's like that."  
  
"Even though it's going to okay?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
Mihoshi looked over at her sleeping friend. She hoped the princess would be able to forgive Ryoko. They were always fighting, and something bad like this would really upset their friendship. As much as they both could tease her they were her friends too and she wanted them to get along.  
  
"Kiyone?" she asked. "Are you staying?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"I'm going to find Mayuka-chan then. She probably needs someone to play with." She can help cheer me up too, she thought.  
  
"No problem," Kiyone said as her partner left.  
  
She looked back to Ayeka. "You'd better wake up soon," she said, "because I'm not looking after that garden of ours all on my own."  
  
She chuckled a little to herself. Of all of them she had known Ayeka the shortest length of time, and yet somehow they had seemed to get on from the start. Perhaps it was because they were the most 'normal' of the visitors here that they became friends like they did. In any case she would be here to make sure she was okay and tell her what had happened. She most likely wouldn't have the best idea and might not be thinking straight.  
  
***  
  
Tenchi found Ryoko out in the woods. She was sitting staring at the red stained ground.  
  
"I didn't mean it Ayeka, really I didn't. It was just an accident. I just got mad. But that was some fight though, huh? I don't think we had one that bad for a long time. I know I should have let it go. That's what Tenchi said to do. But I got angry, you made me angry, IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT YOU PRISSY BITCH!"  
  
Tenchi reeled where he stood. He was about to approach her when she continued.  
  
"Then you call me an stupid monster. I call you stuck up and pompous. You call me an uncultured barbarian. Yeah, that's the kind of thing you'd say. Then we can just fight like we used to, get tired out and go for a bath. And some sake, the good stuff under the sink Tenchi's dad doesn't think we know about. P...Please wake up Ayeka. You're, *sob*, you're the only real friend I've got. Even back before Tenchi, we were still friends, right? Weren't we?"  
  
Tenchi heard her dissolve into tears. He slowly walked out to her and put a hand on her shoulder causing her to start suddenly and whip around.  
  
"T-Tenchi? H-how long have you..?"  
  
"Not that long," he said. "Come on, let's go back. We'll be eating soon."  
  
Ryoko looked back down. "I'm not hungry."  
  
"Come on. Everyone's wondering where you are. Mihoshi will start getting creative ideas about what happened to you if you don't show up."  
  
Ryoko gave a light chuckle and wiped her face. "Guess we don't want that, huh?"  
  
A little way down the path she turned to him. "I didn't mean to Tenchi."  
  
"I know."  
  
***  
  
Everyone had eaten lightly when dinner had been served and it was two hours later when Ayeka began to stir, waking Kiyone from a light sleep. Kiyone had explained to her frightened friend what had happened but Ayeka was still tense and flighty when the others had been called.  
  
She had broken down when she had tried to speak.  
  
"Ayeka, it's all right. Washu said your vocal chords were damaged, but she can fix that. She just needs you awake first before she can start."  
  
Ayeka nodded as she looked in the mirror Kiyone had found for her. Her friend may have denied it, but she could see the scar. A huge ugly slash of faded white flesh where her perfect skin had been. The tears kept falling as she touched it. It felt the same, but what would Tenchi think? How could he love her with *that* across her throat.  
  
Kiyone put a hand on her shoulder. "Seriously Ayeka, no one will notice unless they know about it and go looking. As far as scars go that's nothing. You should see some of the ones at the Galaxy Police. Hell, Mihoshi and I have better than that!"  
  
Ayeka smiled sadly. "But I can see it," she mouthed, more to herself than anyone else, "and so will he."  
  
It was then that the others came in.  
  
"Onee-sama!" Sasami cried and ran into her arms, crying into the medical tunic Washu had provided.  
  
"It's okay," Ayeka mouthed, although Sasami couldn't see, "it's all okay. I'm so glad you're safe."  
  
"Welcome back Ayeka," Tenchi said with his cute relieved nervousness. "We missed you."  
  
Ayeka smiled and nodded.  
  
"Yeah," said Washu, "you actually had us worried for a second there. Don't do it again, it's bad for me." She chuckled.  
  
"How do you feel Ayeka?" Mihoshi asked.  
  
"Okay," Ayeka mouthed, "a bit sore."  
  
"Oh my, your voice!" Mihoshi exclaimed.  
  
Washu shook her head at Mihoshi's forgetfulness. "I just need to run some scans while you're trying to talk then I can whip up something to fix it. Shouldn't take that long."  
  
Ayeka smiled in gratitude.  
  
"Ummm... Ayeka?" came Ryoko's voice from the back of the group. Ayeka tensed up and looked over, seeing the woman who had tried to kill her. She backed up a step.  
  
"Wait Ayeka," Ryoko said pleadingly, "I'm sorry. I'm... I didn't mean to... I'm sorry." She stood there waiting her judgement.  
  
Ayeka didn't say anything though. She was caught between wanting to run away, wanting to strike her down and just wanting to forgive her and try to let thing get back to normal. She was caught somewhere in the middle, too angry, confused and scared to think.  
  
Ryoko looked up. Ayeka didn't know what to do, but she had her arms protectively around Sasami. Protecting Sasami from her.  
  
Ryoko vanished.  
  
***  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
---------------  
  
Please send any comments and criticisms to:  
  
nutzoide@hotmail.com  
  
Or leave them on the archive where you found this story.  
  
If it will help me improve, I want to hear it.  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Things are really starting to heat up now.  
  
Wondering about that emotion painting? Yep, that's Pretty Sammy! Don't worry, I'm not crossing over into that series, I just had to work it in.  
  
The fight scene turned out somewhat shorter than I expected, but there is only so much you can do without the action grinding to a halt. It was interesting to do though.  
  
***  
  
Translation Notes:  
  
-chan: Diminutive honorific. The closest English speakers have is 'little' or 'li'l'. Used for children, very close friends or lovers. A term of affection with the connotation of youth.  
  
-dono: Translated as 'Lord/Lady' or as 'Sir' in the way a knight would be addressed. Can imply martial prestige.  
  
-ken: The name attached is the name of a sword. The Tenchi-ken is the 'Sword Tenchi'. (It can also mean 'technique' or 'fist' when used as a suffix for the name of a move. I won't be using it that way in this fanfic though.)  
  
-sama: Formal honorific. Translated as 'Lord' or 'Lady'. Very respectful.  
  
-san: Translated as Mr. or Miss. And so on. Can be used for both family and personal names.  
  
-sensei: Translates as teacher or professor and can be used as a word on its own.  
  
Bokken: A wooden training sword.  
  
Chibi: Translates as small with the implication of cuteness. I'm using it when describing a super deformed image of someone. Super deformed is when the character is very small or squashed, chubby and very cute, as seen used in some anime and manga for comic effect.  
  
Imouto: Meaning 'younger sister' and often used with the '-chan' suffix although other can be used.  
  
Kanji: The Japanese naming characters.  
  
Karaoke: Popular pastime. Music is played along with the lyrics and you sing the song yourself.  
  
Kimono: A traditional Japanese outfit tied round the middle with a wide ribbon or similar length of material called an 'Obi'.  
  
Manga: Japanese comics. There are types for pretty much everybody, not just the children and collectors.  
  
Miso: Bean paste often used in soup. Comes in several varieties.  
  
Mori Tatakai: Literally translates as 'Forest Battle'. I used the Japanese since I designed it as a Jurai thing, not Earth related.  
  
Onee-sama / Onee-chan: Meaning 'elder sister'. The '- sama' variation is respected and the '-chan' one is more affectionate.  
  
Onii-sama / Onii-chan: As above but meaning brother. Sasami uses the '-chan' variations of both for members the family because she feels affection for them, as family and friends.  
  
(They can also be used without the 'O' at the beginning when placed after someone's name, signifying that that person is their 'brother' or 'sister'. Sasami uses this for the family she is not immediately related to such as Tenchi and those she considers family like Ryoko.)  
  
Onsen: A public or communal bath. Often associated with a hot spring.  
  
Ramen: A noodle broth.  
  
Sake: Japanese rice wine.  
  
Sashimi: Small portions of raw fish.  
  
Sushi: Small portions of raw fish often with vegetables wrapped in rice and a seaweed sheet.  
  
Tanuki: Smallish Japanese mammal similar to a raccoon (I think). Tanuki statues are often placed outside shops for good luck.  
  
Tempura: A form of deep fried food.  
  
Teriyaki/Sukiyaki: Japanese sauces/marinades.  
  
Wasabi: A hot Japanese horseradish often served on or accompanying sushi.  
  
***  
  
Completed: February 19th - 2003  
  
Posted: March 18th - 2003 


	5. Chaos Trigger

Before we start let's get one thing straight: Tenchi Muyo and everything that officially comprises it is owned by AIC and Pioneer. This is unofficial and the story and original characters I create belong to me, so I'd be grateful if you ask before using them in something else. Please, PLEASE don't sue me. I'm only doing this to soothe my inner daemons!  
  
***  
  
Faith, Hope & Carrot Soup  
  
- A Tenchi Muyo Fan-Fiction By Nutzoide -  
  
Chapter 4: Chaos Trigger  
  
It was two days before anyone saw any sign of Washu after the incident. She had spent half an hour taking readings from Ayeka before vanishing into the depths of her lab and closing it off. In fact every member of the household had seemed to turn in upon him or herself during that time.  
  
Ayeka would rarely come out her room claiming fatigue. None of the others were fooled though. She would lie hidden under the covers with her mirror examining her scar for hours upon end, sometimes crying to herself, other times just lying there seemingly dead to the world. "What did I do to deserve this?" she whispered to herself from under her futon. "Am I so cruel that she would want to see me dead? She could have killed me at any time she pleased if she did not find such sport in my torment." Her tears ran down into the futon. "What if I do manage to win Tenchi-sama from you? You told me... to take heart when I feared he would abandon me for Mayuka-chan. We were finally friends. Ryoko, what have I done to you?"  
  
When she did finally appear she covertly tried to avoid Ryoko, as though the pirate would jump out at her at the first opportunity. A part of her wished she would.  
  
Sasami had taken it upon herself to look after her sister, but the strain was beginning to show. She was torn between sympathy and annoyance at her sister's refusal to try and re-claim her life. It didn't help that no-one had seen or heard from Tsunami since she had helped Washu to heal Ayeka, and Sasami desperately wanted to talk to her. In the end Ryo- ohki was her closest comfort. Despite being surrounded by everyone she felt very alone.  
  
Kiyone and Mihoshi had gone back to their apartment and excepting a phone call asking for news they had not been heard from. They had however ended up finding Shoji and the three had spent an evening getting far too drunk for their own good. For the two girls it was in worry about the problems at the shrine house, for Shoji it was in anger at his editor for cutting his (in his opinion) top quality article down to fit a meagre two-page spread. Including the photos. His usual attempts to stave off alcohol failed miserably that night.  
  
Ryoko had re-appeared the morning after her disappearance, red eyed and sombre, and had disappeared to her rafter without a word. However, it was not long after that she began to act as though nothing was wrong, chasing Tenchi and generally lounging around. It turned out she was a pretty good actress. The only reason she didn't fool them was that she was *too* good, because there was very little about the situation that wasn't wrong, and they all knew it. Mayuka was the only one who ever saw her otherwise, as she cradled her during the nights. It was just beginning to go right, she thought in the darkness of the living room. Maybe I really am a monster. But I don't hate her *that* much... do I? She... she's the only person I've ever had that I could have called a friend. It's not fair! My bolts never did that before!  
  
Ryoko clenched here eyes tight, trying to force the tears from here eyes, but all it did was send them trailing down her cheeks. She curled up as she sat there, cradling the child to her chest. "Mayuka-chan, what did I do?"  
  
And stuck in the middle was Tenchi. Ayeka had seemed happy when she had woken up again, but from that point on everyone had drifted away into their own little worlds and he just didn't know what to do about it. His grandfather, for once, couldn't give him the assurance or advice he had wanted, and this wasn't something a bokken to the head could help with. He suspected that the old man was almost as helpless as he was. It was perhaps his father that gave him the best piece of advice; "Just make sure they know they can come to you, and they'll let you go to them. At least that was how it worked with your mother."  
  
In the end he had gone round the house asking if everyone was okay, even though he knew they weren't. Strangely it had seemed to help somewhat.  
  
***  
  
Ayeka stood in Washu's lab looking at a small black pill.  
  
"Just swallow it then give a good hard cough," said Washu as she fastened a small metal collar around Ayeka's neck. "Then give this a few minutes to re-work the cell structure and you'll be as good as new." She beamed at the princess as the tablet disappeared and she gave a couple of good coughs. Then a silent hiccup.  
  
"Oh thank you very much Washu, a bout of these is just what I need!" Ayeka fumed silently as Washu laughed. Then another quiet hiccup. There was *sound* there though, breathy and scratchy as it was, she had actually heard her own voice for the first time in two days. She let a smile blossom across her face.  
  
"Just give it a moment," Washu said as she brought up her laptop and took a final reading, "and you'll be good as new. Tsunami wanted you to keep the scar though. Goddess only knows why, it'll be gone by the end of the week anyway." She gave Ayeka a whack across the head with a pot plant that appeared out of nowhere. "And it's Washu-*chan*."  
  
Ayeka's smile broadened. "Yes Washu-chan, thank you." Her voice still felt scratchy but she definitely had it back. "I will see you at lunch. I have... things to catch up with."  
  
***  
  
Ryoko lay on the sofa watching the huge television screen. Well, watching was probably too active a word. She lay there with the TV on, her eyes lazily fixed to it but not really seeing or hearing much of what it was. Her thoughts careered around inside her head trying to sort themselves out. Tenchi had been even less receptive to her than usual, a fact that she was getting very worried about. She had let him see the monster that had destroyed Jurai and the cute energetic space pirate was no longer as innocent as she seemed.  
  
Not innocent in the slightest you idiot. You never were. It seemed that her mind was rebelling against her again. You never had it any better and you let it get pissed away because you had to make a little trouble. Had to be the big bad demon didn't you? Ryoko turned her attention back to the TV program, not even noticing Ayeka's entrance through the noise in her head.  
  
Ayeka was, if she were to be honest with herself, terrified at that moment. She had no idea how she could deal with her rival and had no desire to provoke her. There was also the anger simmering under her thoughts. Ryoko, however bizarre and volatile their relationship had been, had been someone she had grown to trust. A trust that had been violently torn apart. That part of her mind would have liked nothing more than to take the Tenchi-ken to Ryoko once again just to hear her scream, to let the sound of her frenzied pleading atone for the betrayal she had suffered.  
  
How could you even think that, Ayeka? she screamed to her mind. Ryoko was... *is* almost family! Closer than our family even, if not to you then to Sasami and Tenchi. You could not live with yourself if you did that and you know it.  
  
She closed her eyes and steeled herself. This was the only way she could attempt to reconcile with her without causing the scene she knew Ryoko wanted to avoid. Provided her nerve could keep her from bolting back to her room and away from the uncertainty that plagued her.  
  
"Ryoko-san! Can you not do something useful with yourself besides take up space in Nobuyuki-sama's house? I'm sure you have chores to deal with, not that a monster woman like yourself could do something useful to save your life."  
  
"Screw you princess, what's it to me if..." Ryoko's awareness returned as she took in what she heard and halted the canned retort. "Ayeka? You... You got your voice back! That's... well, cool. Not that I give a damn." She realised the meaning of Ayeka's words, and was quickly put out by them. It looked like Ayeka was still the brat she always was. "And what the hell would an uptight little baby like you know about work anyway?"  
  
Ayeka quivered inside. This wasn't the way it was supposed to be happening, Ryoko usually just ignored her when watching television. Didn't she want to play it the way they had been before? She was just getting Ryoko mad again and she was now truly scared for her safety. All she could do was play it through and pray.  
  
"Well Ryoko-san, the fact that I do actually pull my weight around here as opposed to filling the furniture."  
  
Ryoko felt the power fill her fingers as she floated off the sofa and over to Ayeka, ready to give her more than just a piece of her mind as the princess turned to leave. Ayeka realised she had badly miscalculated her approach and lost control of her fear, letting it flood her face as she cowered away from Ryoko. "Please, Ryoko, I... I was only trying to... please don't!"  
  
Trying to do what coward? Ryoko though as she watched Ayeka tremble in front of her. Then the image flashed in front of her; that purple haired figure on her knees whose blood pumped through her fingers as Ryoko watched. Horror flushed over her as she realised she was about to attack Ayeka when the last fight had almost left the young Juraian dead. What... What am I doing? she thought as she stared at her hands. She backed away and banished the energy from her body.  
  
Ayeka pressed herself against the wall, her eyes tightly shut waiting for the blow. When it didn't come she tentatively opened them and cast a cautious glance at Ryoko.  
  
Ryoko looked back to her. Trying to give me a way out. I wanted everything back the way it was. She tried to do that and I almost attacked her for it. I was just supposed to say something and ignore her, I watch TV and she goes off to in a huff 'cos I don't do my chores. Her mind raced to find a way to make the situation right again. "I... I need a bath. Do you, err, wanna come?"  
  
Ayeka stammered nervously. "I n-need to... I need to find Sasami," she answered lamely and almost ran from the room.  
  
Ryoko stood fixed to the ground cursing herself for her own stupidity. Why the hell would Ayeka do that anyway? She knows I ain't smart like that. It was barely five minutes before Sasami called from the kitchen announcing that lunch was ready and Ryoko realised Ayeka had disappeared back into her room alone.  
  
Sasami had come out to find them when Ayeka descended the stairs again. "Hello Onee-sama," she asked worriedly, "how are you feeling?"  
  
Ayeka looked down to her sister with a faintly nervous smile on her face. "Much better thank you Imouto-chan."  
  
Sasami's face nearly split in two when she heard the reply. "Onee-sama, Washu fixed your voice! I'm so happy for you." She ran to her sister and gave her a ferocious hug. Ryoko felt her mood lift slightly as she watched them.  
  
"Yes Sasami, everything's all right now." Ayeka laid a hand on Sasami's head and Ryoko felt a small hand take her own. She looked down to see Ryo-ohki looking back up at her with a smile on her face. Ryoko knew Ryo-ohki would know what had happened, but the cabbit girl radiated optimism through their link all the same.  
  
Sasami let go of her sister. "Does that mean you're friends with Ryoko nee-chan again?" she asked, the hope shining on her face.  
  
Before Ayeka could respond Ryoko spoke up. "Yeah, that's right Sasami-chan, we're friends again. No problem."  
  
Sasami practically jumped back into her sister's arms. "Yaaaay! I knew you'd still be friends." Ayeka gave Ryoko a careful but thankful look and Ryo-ohki squeezed Ryoko's hand lightly. {That's all good. If Sasami's happy then everything's okay,} she thought-cast fuzzily to Ryoko.  
  
{I hope you're right,} Ryoko sent back.  
  
The two princesses came down and they all went to eat. When Tenchi saw them he gave them a warm smile. He had hoped the two of them would be able to work it out. When the girls saw this they each gave the other a careful guarded look before smiling themselves and sitting down to eat. Katsuhito was there with them reminding Tenchi about his sword practice that afternoon and Washu was there to 'get some vitamin D' after her two day absence. They all congratulated Ayeka on getting her voice back, though naturally Washu made sure to point out her part in the situation, and lunch turned out to be very pleasant.  
  
The phone rang as they finished their miso soup and it was Ayeka who volunteered to get it, wanting to get out from under the eyes of the others for a bit.  
  
"Hello, Masaki residence."  
  
"Oh, hey there Ayeka-san, it's Kiyone. I'm glad to hear your voice."  
  
"Thank you Kiyone, what can I do for you?"  
  
"Ummm... well, Mihoshi and I kind of got a little drunk last night with Shoji and... well, Mihoshi invited him over to yours for tomorrow. I know we were all planning to get together anyway, but do you think that would be okay? I know he wants to talk to Tenchi some time."  
  
"Well, I think it would be okay. I'll ask the others."  
  
As it turned out they thought it was a great idea and ended up having plenty of fun spending the afternoon creating their cover histories for the occasion while Tenchi practised with his grandfather and gave the fields a once over. Ryoko however was far from happy at being consigned the role of 'mother' again.  
  
Stupid jerk earthling.  
  
***  
  
Shoji was very glad Mihoshi had invited him to the Masaki's place. It was the ideal thing to get him out of the funk he had been in since his damn editor had butchered that article. Sure, the Masaki lot were all nuts, with the possible exception of Kiyone, that purple haired girl he had met and maybe her little sister, but they did seem like a fun bunch and that was just what he needed right now.  
  
"Hello Mugai-san," said Tenchi as he came out to meet them, "nice to see you again."  
  
"You too Tenchi-san, and it's 'Shoji' okay? All that formality make feel like I should be wearing a suit." He looked up at the house. "I must say this is an impressive place, by the water too, very nice."  
  
Tenchi swelled a little with pride for his father. "Dad designed it himself. He's always getting ideas for new additions. Come in and you can meet the rest of us properly."  
  
They headed into the main living room and the introductions when round like last time, only now including Tenchi's father, grandfather, Sasami and 'Sasami's cousin' Mayuka, none of whom he had been formally introduced to at the park, despite the meal they had shared together.  
  
"Oh, and my aunt Tsunami might be around somewhere. She kind of disappears now and then," said Sasami, trying to cover her nervousness at the obvious deception.  
  
"Now I see why you need such a big house," said Shoji.  
  
The chat continued for a while until Sasami ducked out to start preparing their lunch and Shoji took the opportunity to ask Katsuhito for a tour of the shrine, which he was all too willing to provide.  
  
"... and so Yosho planted the sword within the cave to complete the seal." Katsuhito couldn't help but smile inwardly at relating the tale once again as they stopped by the cave entrance. A fictionalised version of his final battle with Ryoko proclaiming his own heroism was personally suited to his simple, modest delivery and natural 'don't judge a book by it's cover' sense of humour. "Yosho dedicated his life to the shrine, guarding it to make sure that the demon was never awakened, and his descendants still guard it today."  
  
Shoji smiled appreciatively. "That's quite a tale Katsuhito- san. Do you know how much of it is actually true?"  
  
Katsuhito laughed. "I don't dare to presume it any less than that the literal truth. Tenchi and myself are descended from the shrine founder, but more than that is scripture and words of mouth." He rubbed his chin and gave Shoji a creepy smile, "And only one man has ever dared to enter this cave and brave the curse within."  
  
"And what happened to this man?"  
  
"Woman troubles."  
  
Shoji couldn't help but laugh at the old priest's perfectly straight delivery. "I take that to mean your grandson."  
  
"Of course. He has naturally been sworn to secrecy on pain of death."  
  
"With that lot living here I can believe it." Shoji peered through the rusty bars of the cave gate and into the darkness. Unfortunately he couldn't make out much more than a prayer line tied around something further in. "Well, I don't suppose I could get a few pictures inside could I?"  
  
"You can certainly try," said Katsuhito calmly, "but I am sworn to protect the site."  
  
Shoji chuckled, un-slung his camera and walked up to the gate again. Within two second he was on his back ten feet away, Katsuhito idly twirling the camera around his bokken.  
  
Shoji shook his head and got to his feet in time to get his bemused face captured on his own film. "Damn," he coughed, "you weren't kidding!" He took the camera when it was offered. "Maybe you should teach martial arts instead of religion."  
  
"Tenchi is the only one I will ever teach and I am quite fond of my chosen profession," Katsuhito replied. "Perhaps you would care to sate your photographic appetite at the shrine itself before we eat?"  
  
Shoji looked at the old man with a new sense of respect. "Sure." He looked back at the cave. As curious as he had become he was not anxious to find out how good a fighter the priest really was if it meant he was the one getting his ass kicked.  
  
***  
  
It had turned out at their last meal with Shoji that he was rather partial to Italian food, so lunch was a strange hotchpotch that went down rather well, despite Ryoko adding the wasabi to her pasta, to most of the other diners' distaste.  
  
"That's... original," was Shoji's response to the mouthful that would have burnt the roof off his own mouth. He figured that Ryoko didn't like him much since she merely huffed before continuing to eat.  
  
"Nothing wrong with it," she said.  
  
"Mom, don't be rude to the nice man," said Washu, knowingly needling her and loving every minute of it.  
  
"Leave off brat," replied Ryoko  
  
Nobuyuki swallowed his own food before nicely avoiding another 'Mother and Daughter' argument. "If Sasami-chan cooks it it's pretty much guaranteed to work, whatever it is."  
  
"Thank you Nobuyuki-san." Sasami beamed at the complement.  
  
"What were you all thinking of doing this afternoon?" asked Katsuhito. "I'm assuming I will not be the entertaining party."  
  
Tenchi smiled evilly. "I'm sure we can find something for you to do Gramps."  
  
"Maybe you could put on a little martial art demo," said Shoji. "Whatever it was you pulled on me was pretty impressive."  
  
"You attacked him?" Tenchi goggled at his grandfather.  
  
"Merely protecting the cave my boy. I'm afraid these old bones of mine will need a rest from that sort of exhibition though." Ryoko snorted a laugh into her food but Katsuhito carried on regardless, "I'm sure that Tenchi here can show you something if you are really interested."  
  
"Actually I was thinking we could get the table tennis set out outside since it's nice," said Sasami. "We haven't played that in ages."  
  
"Oh, that would be great Sasami-chan," bubbled Mihoshi, "I was really good at that last time."  
  
Washu glared at her. "Mihoshi, that was the largest single display of chaos theory I have every seen. There was more luck in that game than is scientifically possible."  
  
"Well I'm sorry if your little scanny machine thing broke Washu-chan, but you just can't admit that I was good at it."  
  
Washu finished her sashimi and got up. "Whatever, this time I'm going to be prepared." She took her things to the kitchen and disappeared under the stairs, much to Shoji's surprise.  
  
"She actually lives in a closet?"  
  
Mihoshi giggled. "No silly, that's her lab! But actually she does live in there most of the time."  
  
"It's, err, the basement," Tenchi provided.  
  
"Oh." Shoji went back to his pasta. Weird.  
  
"So Shoji-san, what will you be working on now you have finished with the parks?" enquired Ayeka.  
  
Shoji thought for a second. "I'd like to say a nice big project, but honestly I'll be taking the week off 'til I get paid. After that I'll try and push for a small piece about this place. Everyone's interested in mystical stuff right now so I think it would work. Provided Katsuhito-san is okay with that."  
  
The priest in question nodded. "Certainly. It will be nice to see some new interest up here."  
  
Shoji finished cleaning his plate and shrugged. "That's about as far as I'd got."  
  
Katsuhito rose, "Well, I intend to return to the shrine. Enjoy the day off practice Tenchi, you'll be making up for it tomorrow."  
  
"And," said Sasami, "I know that we're going to play table tennis. Could you please set it up while I wash up."  
  
"I'll get it," said Mihoshi as she got up and stretched. "Are you coming too Ryo-ohki?" she asked the little cabbit who was devouring yet another carrot under the table. Ryo-ohki miya'd in agreement and hopped up into the blonde's hair as she ran off, grateful to feel the wind on her ears after so long stuck on the ground.  
  
Tenchi ran after her. "Wait Mihoshi, it's too big to deal with on your own."  
  
She came to a halt at the glass doors to the room. "Ummm... Tenchi, where is it supposed to be anyway?"  
  
"The old shed."  
  
"Okay! Let's go." She ran off again.  
  
"Mihoshi!" Tenchi ran after her, soon followed Ayeka.  
  
"I'll help Tenchi-sama," she called.  
  
Ryoko gulped down the last of her water and ran off after them. "Tenchi! Wait for me."  
  
"They're quite a bunch aren't they," said Shoji, "especially that flatmate of yours."  
  
"Yeah," said Kiyone, "after living with her so long it's hard not to think her whole planet's like that."  
  
Then she realised she was talking to an Earth native. Oh crap! Nobuyuki was thrown off by it as well. He had thought she would be the last person to forget that.  
  
"Heh heh, she does seem like a bit of a space-case," replied Shoji, not realising how nervous the other two had just become, "but she's fun with it."  
  
The other two sighed slightly, grateful that some things just don't get taken literally if you know nothing about them. Shoji however *did* notice that and was wondering what it was all about when Nobuyuki got up.  
  
"I hope you all have fun," he said. "I'm going to find myself a good book."  
  
"See you later Nobuyuki-san." Kiyone got up and headed outside to meet the others and Shoji headed for the kitchen.  
  
"Hey, Sasami-chan, do you need a hand with that?"  
  
Sasami looked over with her hand still in the bowl. "No, I'm fine. I always do this."  
  
"The cooking *and* the washing up?"  
  
Sasmai nodded. "Yep, I like cooking, and this way I don't have to do chores like the others!" She made a face before giggling and getting back to the task at hand.  
  
Smart girl, he thought, very smart.  
  
***  
  
The table tennis game ended up as a tournament of sorts, with everyone playing everyone else and gaining points through a system only Washu could understand given the elaborate scoreboard. This was naturally because she had invented it. The table was just low enough to let Sasami and Washu play and they took the first game which Sasami won spectacularly several minutes later.  
  
"Bah! Okay, Sasami takes the lead." Washu marked the outcome down on the board, which strangely seemed far too large for her. Shoji was amazed when he saw that she had somehow managed to mark her own score right at the top. The others seemed to think nothing of it though, so he decided to concentrate on watching Tenchi get slaughtered by Ryoko at the table. Her years of pirating and playing arcade games gave her the edge over his sword training. He just wasn't able to keep up with her erratic playing style.  
  
When Mihoshi's first game came round he really got a shock.  
  
"What the hell is *that*?!?"  
  
Washu was wheeling out a *very* large set of sensors and monitoring apparatus.  
  
"Now, let's see how you do it, eh Mihoshi-dono?"  
  
Mihoshi just shrugged and turned to Ayeka, who was to be her first opponent.  
  
Kiyone leaned over to Shoji. "Washu-chan can get a bit over the top but she knows what she's doing. Mihoshi is one of her on going projects."  
  
Shoji gave her a confused look. "Projects?"  
  
Kiyone nodded. "She's trying to find out why Mihoshi is so lucky, or unlucky, whichever it happens to be at the time."  
  
Shoji decided he understood enough for now and watched the game. Ayeka was not a bad player but Mihoshi was amazing. She seemed to be playing on sheer adrenaline, arms and legs flying all over the place as she tried to get the ball. And she won, by quite a bit. Near the back Washu was pulling on her hair as she wrote up the scores.  
  
Shoji's second game came soon after. Having just about won against Kiyone he was feeling fairly confident as he squared off with Ryoko. She seemed to like power shots, so as long as he could react quickly to a long ball he thought he would be okay.  
  
Unfortunately for him he soon found out that Ryoko's hand eye co-ordination wasn't going to let him through her defence. Each of the games was best five of out of seven, and he was losing four to one when Ryoko said she needed to stop for a drink. She playfully stuck out her tongue at the others as she left and he noticed that some of the others seemed to react very differently than they had when he had been with them last. Tenchi, who had seemed uncomfortable at her playful nature at the restaurant now seemed quietly relieved. It was blatantly obvious she liked him but the attention had seemed to disturb him before. I suppose a single mother going after you would be a bit weird. Especially since they're both still young. Come to think of it she must have had Washu-chan when she was barely in her teens. As brusque as she had been, he could feel for her for that. That must have been real rough.  
  
Ayeka's reaction also surprised him. Rather than the remonstrative look he had expected, she just shifted uncomfortably where she sat next to Tenchi. Although not as overt about her attraction he could see that she also had feeling for the young man. Maybe that's it, he thought, Tenchi decided to stop running from Ryoko. That would explain it. He couldn't help feeling sorry for her too. His first relationship hadn't been easy on him either.  
  
Ryoko returned and took her place again. Of course she hadn't really needed a drink. She didn't really need sustenance at all unless she lost a lot of mass in a fight. She had however wanted to get back at him for starting that 'mother' idea. In the last five matches she had been studying the way he played, the same way she would in a sword fight. He was fond of confusing shots rather than powering past or outlasting his opponent. She threw her ball over to him, and she would have bet money on what he would do with it.  
  
Just as she had expected he decided to try and hit it right back, slicing slightly to put a spin on it. You couldn't really plan to make those shots in the heat of a rally with Ryoko. However, when the ball hit it didn't fly back to the table, and he found himself being covered by the contents of said 'ball'.  
  
Ryoko burst into laughter and ended up rolling around on the floor as Shoji casually wiped the egg off his face and gave her a wry grin, pulling the stray hair out of his eyes. He really wished he had thought of that something like that.  
  
The others on the grass were either trying to stifle their laughter or not bothering and having a great time with it. Even Ayeka was giggling, however much she disapproved of the practical joke. Sasami ran up giggling herself and offered to get him a towel and shirt which he readily accepted before the match continued.  
  
When the games ended they left Mihoshi as the winner, closely followed by Sasami and Ryoko with everyone else being somewhat further down in the pecking order. Washu had been too distracted my Mihoshi's performances to concentrate on her own games and it showed. Her score was miserable.  
  
"I don't believe this, it's a bad dream."  
  
Tenchi sighed. "Come on Washu-chan, don't be a sore loser."  
  
Washu looked up at him desperately and grabbed his shirt, unshed tears shining in her eyes. "It's not possible Tenchi-dono! By every law I know there is no way Mihoshi could be that good! She won every game she played and she can't even tie her shoelace without help!"  
  
"Hey!" Mihoshi said indignantly as she helped fold up the table.  
  
"I need to analyse this! There has to be a rational explanation." Without another word Washu dashed off to her lab, her hair flying loose of the binding she had put it in to play.  
  
Shoji walked up to Tenchi with a confused expression. "No offence Tenchi-san but she kind of freaks me out. A hyperactive kid genius who can make *that*," he pointed to the monitoring machine, "has an ego like I've never seen, and thinks the world's going to end because Mihoshi wins at table tennis? That's scary."  
  
Tenchi shook his head. "I've lived with her for three years and I *still* don't understand her. If it makes you feel any better she can scare me too."  
  
Shoji nodded. Tenchi looked around at the girls then back to him. "I think we'll be starting the chores soon, I hope you don't mind if we call it a day."  
  
"Well, to be honest," replied Shoji, "I haven't got anything to do, so maybe I could help out with something." He gave his cackle-like chuckle, "Whatever it is it beats going home and cleaning *that*." He pointed to his egg-covered shirt.  
  
Tenchi smiled and thought for a moment. "Do you know anything about gardening?"  
  
***  
  
Half an hour later Shoji was tilling the soil on the last of the un-turned carrot plots. He and Tenchi had spent their time on it until Tenchi had been called away to help deal with Sasami, who had apparently thrown a fit for some reason or other and said she only wanted to talk to either him or Tsunami.  
  
Yet another oddity, he thought as he began to rake over the soil with the hoe Tenchi had provided. She seemed more mature than some of the others!  
  
Unbeknownst to him a pair of eyes watched as he worked. She had her orders, but she would be damned before she gave up her own mission just because some senile old fool paid her to do a little side work. This was bigger than his petty plans. Her revenge was all that mattered now, damn the lack of bounty. This quest had consumed her for centuries and all she had to do now was take the chance she had been given. The old man would still get his prize, and she would get Ryoko's head.  
  
The hunter motioned for the grey cabbit at her side to stay put, then stepped out. She pulled back her hood, revealing the shock of bluish hair that spiked back flat across her head and the Juraian warrior markings she had had permanently tattooed across the left side of her face.  
  
She raised her rod-like sword and pointed it at the ground the man was hoeing. She hadn't seen him around before but he needed to be dealt with just like the others did. She knew from experience that if she were get to Ryoko she would first have to take out her 'friends'. Unlike Ryoko however, Nagi's sense of honour forced her to make this a duel. She could easily have laid him out never having known she was there, but then she would have been no better than her quarry. She was the most feared and respected bounty hunter in Juraian space, no farming boy could defeat her in single combat and she had no need to kill. If he were going to live he would remember her, and what she could have done.  
  
The tip of her sword opened and an energy blast ripped into the dirt, the shock causing Shoji to lose his footing. He stared for a second at the smoking earth before whipping round to see what he would otherwise have called a very attractive woman if she hadn't been pointing a weapon at him.  
  
"Who the *hell* are you?" he asked angrily as he scrambled to his feet and hefted the hoe in his hands.  
  
"Evidently Ryoko doesn't see fit to warn her companions of what they risk through her association. I am Nagi. Either you leave, now, and do not return or I make sure you cannot interfere." She closed the tip of her sword and activated the energy whip it held.  
  
"That doesn't exactly sound like you're planning anything decent," he retorted. "I doubt the cops'll think much of you carrying a firearm, or whatever the hell that thing is."  
  
Nagi chuckled menacingly. This one really is clueless. She readied her weapon. "Let's make this quick."  
  
The whip lashed out and Shoji instinctively blocked with his forearm. He screamed as the line burned into his flesh and he turned to run. He was way out of his league here and had no intention of getting lashed or shot to death. Nagi however had other ideas and dashed into pursuit.  
  
Suddenly a feeling flashed into Shoji's mind, an intense impression of danger and he threw himself to the ground just as the whip cracked over his head. He hauled the hoe back and into Nagi's stomach, surprising her.  
  
She stepped back as he shot to his feet. Perhaps he does have some small talent.  
  
Shoji on the other hand could barely think about his situation. His senses were being bombarded by that strange cognition he had felt. It was female. Kind, concerned, protective, and she wanted to help. He could almost see her, blue hair, she carried a long staff, no it was a bladed spear of some sort, she was trying to let him understand.  
  
Suddenly he sped forward and swung the hoe at his assailant. Nagi ducked expertly and caught him in the ribs with the butt of the whip, unprepared for him to take the initiative but not willing to let it phase her. He back-pedalled and tried to shake the image he had. Something was wrong, he was doing it incorrectly.  
  
Nagi lashed out furiously intending to finish the battle quickly but Shoji somehow managed to block the worst of the damage, as though he was being telegraphed how to fight. The feeling faded, Better. Fluid, follow through, don't extend too far.  
  
Nagi cursed as she laid into him with the whip. The damn Earthling was actually good with that thing. As the blur of impressions and knowledge faded he could feel the residue of whatever it was. He was fighting her! The guy who couldn't throw a punch to save his life knew how to fight!  
  
He swung round with the hoe forcing his burnt and bleeding arms to obey and followed up with an impressive trio of strikes, the last of which caught Nagi painfully in the shoulder and sent her to the ground, blood colouring her cloak. Before he could follow up she swung at his legs with the sword, knocking him of balance and she took the opportunity to let fly with the whip again.  
  
They danced together exchanging blows as they each tried to make headway into the other's defence. Despite his new found combat talent Shoji soon realised he was still badly outmatched and took a nasty crack to the head which sent him to the ground. The last thing he saw was Nagi looming over him before he lost consciousness.  
  
The bounty hunter looked down at him. He had been a surprise and she dearly hoped there weren't any more in store for her. It was as she walked away however that that hope was dashed and a blaster shot hit her in her already wounded shoulder. She whirled round to see Mihoshi levelling her pistol as her.  
  
"What are you doing here Nagi? What did you do to Shoji- san?"  
  
Nagi readied her weapon again. Better she got rid of this one now. She ignited her whip and struck out at the Galaxy Police detective. While she had no quarrel with the Galaxy Police she held them in no special favour either.  
  
Mihoshi fired another two shots which Nagi deflected with her sword shaft before the distance was closed and Mihoshi took a lash to the chest. She kicked the hunter away and stumbled backwards firing off another shot that caught Nagi's sword arm.  
  
Before either could make another move they heard a faint *thoom* and Nagi was consumed in a blast of green and yellow concussion fire. Mihoshi looked up in time to see another shot streaking downwards and ran before she was hit. She scooped up the still unconscious Shoji she ran for the shed, her chest burning from the hit she had taken. She was glad Tenchi had asked her to call Shoji when he did, or she could have been too late to help.  
  
***  
  
"*BROKE*? What do you mean it bloody *broke*? Things like that don't just *break*!"  
  
The old Juraian was livid. Nagi had decided to take on the whole household single handed when he had specifically told her to sneak in. That meant having to deal with her immediately before she completely destroyed his plans, then he gets told the main weapon he had bet his whole plan around had broken! The machine gave off a ream of noises.  
  
"It must have been passive. There is no way for Juraian energy to target us. Do you know the source?"  
  
The machine bleeped negative.  
  
"Well was there any neural feedback?" he snapped at it. He let out a relieved sigh when it responded negative again.  
  
"Alright, you have three hours to fix it. Take whatever help you need, from any section, just get it done. This situation if perfect for stirring them up and we're missing it. Chances are the native will figure out they are all extra-terrestrials and I want it running by that time."  
  
The 'Syren' machine, now looking obviously feminine despite 'her' lack of facial characteristics, spoke. "The situation is likely to occur within forty eight hours of his awakening, assuming the targets keep him within the assigned grounds." The voice was simple and quietly attractive without any hint of mechanical tone.  
  
"Emotional manipulation of this sort requires more than just pulling the trigger. We want to emphasise what is already there, not create new feelings, so we have to take our time." The man smiled at her. "If I had wanted to dominate them I would have used the same methods the Kagato creature did, and you see how well that worked in the end. All we need do is increase the emotional response to the stimuli they already get. Whether they end up at each other's throats or slitting their own, we win." He turned to the other machine. "Provided it WORKS! *GO*!"  
  
He turned back to Syren. "They will never know we were responsible, and we take our prize while they are occupied with their own problems."  
  
Syren nodded slightly. "I understand. They will believe it is their own fault. How then do you intent to deal with the older princess?"  
  
The man smiled again, though this time it was far from comforting. "You saw what happened. It will be enough for me that such behaviour continues."  
  
"As you wish." Syren straightened but rested her unadorned hand on his arm. "What do you wish me to do with the bounty hunter. She could expose you now."  
  
The man frowned. "Dump her on the island, away from the target areas, and strip her of all her belongings. She has no knowledge of the planet from the surface and we cannot afford to alter position to take her elsewhere."  
  
"There would be no risk if I was to kill her."  
  
The man took her chin. "I have no desire to kill anyone. Once you are psychologically complete the effect of such an act would leave your mind irreparable."  
  
"I understand. You wish for my wellbeing." She felt the quiver run through her. Receiving his care was an experience she liked. She stood up and subdued the emotional glimmer. It would not be conductive to efficiency to entertain such a state. "I will deal with her."  
  
"And remember, bring me that wretched cabbit. That's why I chose her in the first place." He watched his most treasured creation leave. It looks like we will be here a while longer.  
  
***  
  
Sasami sat down with a huff hugging a hot water bottle to her stomach. "This is so gross."  
  
Tsunami sat down beside her. "It is a necessary part of life."  
  
Sasami frowned at her. "That doesn't make it not-gross".  
  
"True." Tsunami smiled causing Sasami to follow suit. "I am afraid however you will have to weather it just like everyone else. One week out of eight is not as bad as it could be, and at least you can say you do not have to suffer alone."  
  
Sasami bowed her head sheepishly. "I'm sorry about that."  
  
"I had hardly expected to pass through this without some effects Sasami, I was just not prepared for the nature of physical discomfort."  
  
"I can't blame you for running away. I want to do the same thing. I'm always in the way anyway." Sasami looked at her lap remembering what the other girls had said.  
  
"I simply needed time to adjust," Tsunami replied, "and you are not in the way. You were simply in the wrong place when they were doing their chores."  
  
Sasami nodded. "Mmm hmmm. I'm glad you came back though. Will Shoji-san be alright?"  
  
"Yes, although he will definitely have a headache. I only wish I could have been more of an assistance at the time."  
  
"I'm glad Tenchi nii-chan said he could sleep here." She paused when she heard Ryoko clear her throat.  
  
She and Kiyone were standing there looking shamefaced, Ryoko holding Mayuka. "We, I mean me and Kiyone, well, we're sorry about what we said."  
  
"We know how hard you work here Sasami-chan. It was wrong of us to imply otherwise." In all honesty Kiyone had no excuse for her outburst, though she had not been helped by Ryoko's constant complaining at their workload. After all, it was the first time Sasami had *ever* got under anyone else's feet. Quite an achievement considering the household.  
  
Sasami nodded and frowned at them. "That was really mean," the two women bowed their heads even lower, "but it's okay." She put on her official royal voice, "I think I can forgive you." She broke into giggles and the others soon followed.  
  
After their little giggle fit Sasami bid them goodnight, intent of finding out how Sammy survived her latest encounter, and Kiyone went to join Mihoshi in the girls' room.  
  
Ryoko was still in the living room four hours later, cradling Mayuka from the sofa. Thanks to Nagi's apparent re-appearance she was too wired to sleep and Mayuka seemed to like being a distraction for her, even in her sleep. As far she was concerned babies were way more trouble than they were worth and Mayuka was no different. Unlike Tenchi's cousin Taro though she seemed to have no problem sleeping through the night, for which Ryoko was eternally grateful. She just liked holding her when she was like this, no screaming demands or attempts to crawl, which Mayuka seemed to do backwards. When it was calm Ryoko could understand why people would actually want one. It was nice to care for someone because they needed you.  
  
It was halfway through the verse that she realised she was singing to her. The same song Washu had sung for Taro, just calmer, using the higher voice she would never usually sing with. That low sultry singing was what she went for, but just this once she was singing the simple, soft little lullaby as though it were the most natural thing in the world. It barely registered as she sang that she couldn't remember learning it.  
  
From the doorway Washu and Nobuyuki looked on, both deeply moved to see Ryoko's tender side emerge, one she barely knew she had. Washu smiled with tears in her eyes as Nobuyuki recorded the scene. Our link was still there Ryoko-chan. Even if I couldn't be.  
  
***  
  
Mihoshi had begged off work the following day in order to watch over Shoji while her own injury healed. She also still wanted to talk to Washu, not having liked what she had said the previous day at the match, but in the end she had all but forgotten about that as the day had worn on. As she watched him sleep she wondered why Kiyone had said they were 'not each other's type'. He seemed really nice to her.  
  
It was getting late in the afternoon when Shoji stirred. "Ohhhh! This is why you don't drink you idiot."  
  
That startled Mihoshi before she realised he was talking to himself. He hadn't opened his eyes yet, and when he did he saw Mihoshi's vibrant blue ones staring back at him.  
  
"I don't suppose you'd know the number of the wrecking ball that got me?" he quipped.  
  
Mihoshi looked at him curiously, not remembering anything about a ball of any kind. "Nooooo, I don't think so."  
  
Shoji tried to smile as he sat up but failed miserably thanks to his little bugger of a headache and had to settle for a grimace.  
  
The others were filtering in from the rest of the house since Sasami had heard him wake and gone to collect them, including Kiyone who had come straight over when her shift had ended and had been with Ayeka tending their flower garden.  
  
"So," Shoji said pulling his hair back and rubbing his head, "who was the psycho with the whip thing. That hurt like hell."  
  
From behind him Ryoko spoke up. "Errr, her name's Nagi. I sort of pissed her off once somehow and she tries to attack me every now and then."  
  
He stared at her with shocked stupefaction. Strangely though it wasn't from what she had said. That would have just rated surprise and possibly scepticism.  
  
Ryoko looked around to see what he was staring at while the others tried frantically to indicate something. Her dress was okay, so was there anything on her face? She seemed to overlook that she was floating three feet off the floor.  
  
"Okay," Shoji said, "I'm just going to say it. This place is very, very strange. Why can Ryoko-san fly? I've seen enough stage magic to know that's not it, is it?"  
  
Ryoko looked down and winced. "Ooops. I'm in trouble, aren't I?"  
  
Everyone looked at each other nervously as he walked round her looking for strings and she dropped to her feet. The silence only served to get Shoji more worked up. "Would someone please say something before I start freaking out here! Who the hell are you people?"  
  
Tenchi looked to Kiyone. "Can we? He is a friend, I think it'd be okay."  
  
Kiyone sighed. "This is going to look great on my record. I guess you get the honours Mihoshi, you were the one who stayed with him."  
  
"Isn't that against the rules?" Mihoshi asked, wanting to make sure she wouldn't get in trouble.  
  
"Ryoko didn't leave much to the imagination. Just so long as he keeps it a secret."  
  
Ryoko scratched her head sheepishly as Mihoshi turned to Shoji wearing her serious business face. "Shoji Mugai-san, you have to keep this a secret, okay? Do you promise not to tell anyone?"  
  
By this time Shoji's nerves were at breaking point. "Yeah, okay, anything you say."  
  
"You can't write about this too. Even if you think you can trust someone you mustn't tell."  
  
Shoji nodded furiously. "I got it, no writing, no telling, no nothing. I swear!"  
  
"Shoji, we don't come from this planet. We're aliens."  
  
If he hadn't just seen Ryoko suspended completely in mid-air he would have been laughing is head off at the wind up to that. Since he had his brain actually made the leap and realised that that was entirely possible, especially given all the other oddities about them all.  
  
You sissy, he thought as his eyes rolled back and he passed out on the sofa.  
  
Mihoshi looked down at him worriedly. "I didn't kill him, did I?"  
  
Kiyone just chuckled and shook her head.  
  
***  
  
"...and so you two are actually going to become the same person one day. That's actually pretty poetic, the princess and her patron goddess."  
  
Shoji's head definitely hurt. Since he had woken up yet again and confirmed he was not dreaming, the inhabitants of the Masaki house, all of whom turned out to be at least part alien, had spent the last three hours explaining things to him.  
  
"You really catch on quick, don't you?" deadpanned Ryoko as the third explanation of Sasami and Tsunami's situation finished and he finally managed to wrap his head round it.  
  
"Actually," Sasami said, "I'm sort of filling in until Tsunami can merge with me. She can't bring people back from the dead."  
  
Tsunami shook her head. Sasami never could grasp the way it had worked. "Sasami, do you remember when Tenchi was dying? It was similar with you. I just healed you with a bit of me, I didn't create you."  
  
"But you had to make me so we could assimilate, you never bonded to anyone but me, and my marks are real." She said, pointing to the two triangles on her forehead, which split momentarily into circles then re- formed again.  
  
Tsunami decided that now was not the time after all. "Never mind Sasami, you will understand when the time comes."  
  
"Looks like you have quite a life for yourself here Tenchi," Shoji said. "Now I understand what your grandfather meant at the cave. And incidentally, what is in there if Ryoko really is the demon."  
  
"Who're you calling demon you stupid hick?" Ryoko said glaring at him.  
  
"Well excuse me for being born in the ass end of the galaxy!" he retorted. He was steadily getting more and more put out by her attitude. "And just how was I supposed to know you were the daughter and Washu-chan was the mother?" He had learned early on that Washu-chan was still 'little' despite her age and apparent status.  
  
"*Hmph*, since when was she a mother to me? I saw more of Ayeka than her. Closest thing I had to a parent was that bastard Kagato!"  
  
Both Ayeka and Washu were getting worked up now and Tenchi would have intervened if Mihoshi had not beaten him to it.  
  
"Come on everyone, don't fight. It's late so let's all go to bed and talk some more tomorrow."  
  
"Yeah," said Tenchi, "since you're taking the week off work Shoji we'll put you up for the night. I think there's some more Galaxy Police stuff Kiyone and Mihoshi will have to go through with you tomorrow."  
  
"And since my ungrateful *daughter* won't want you on the sofa I'll set up a room for you in my lab." Washu said, feeling both upset and angry at Ryoko's complete disavowal of her as a parent.  
  
"Damn right I don't want him sleeping under me! And I've got nothing to be grateful for in the first place." With that she phased out, not seeing the incensed glare Ayeka shot at her.  
  
How in the world can that monster be so totally rude when we have guests? It would be deplorable even if this were not a contact situation! She stiffly approached Shoji trying to rein in her emotions. "Shoji-san, please forgive the outrageous behaviour of that woman. I can assure you we are all very glad to have you as a member of us and I have absolute trust in your discretion. You have proven most capable in coping with this situation."  
  
Shoji bowed, suddenly nervous that he was talking to bona fide royalty. "Thank you Aye... I mean Princess. I'm glad you feel that way. Now quite frankly I'd like to get to bed and try to wrap my head around everything."  
  
Ayeka smiled. "Quite understandable Shoji-san, and please just call me Ayeka. You insisted on less formality when we met and I would wish no other treatment."  
  
"In that case I'll say goodnight Ayeka-sama, Tenchi-san, ladies. Thanks for the hospitality. Well Washu-chan," Shoji said, turning to the diminutive scientist, "I guess I'm in your hands now."  
  
Washu regained the glint in her eyes and dragged him into the lab, followed by Tenchi's call, "And no experimenting with him!" which didn't do much to put him at ease.  
  
The inside of the lab practically blew his socks off as he was systematically shown each of the more impressive parts of the sub-space labyrinth. The aquarium in particular seemed to impress him, even given the constant grey/blue colour scheme. The sheer volume of water around him and various aquatic alien creatures couldn't help but inspire awe when all he had ever seen outside the TV was the tank his sister had kept goldfish in when they were children. When they had said 'lab' he had expected a couple of dingy basement rooms full of tables, benches, glass pipes and various alien machines, not the kind of amazing landscapes and rooms he was seeing now. He commented that he wouldn't be surprised if it covered several planets, and Washu confirmed his suspicions, though pointing out that you filled the sub-space void with what you wanted rather than build on pre- existing planets.  
  
She was loving the ego trip this provided and was almost reluctant to let him go when they finally got to the spare room she kept down there in case any of the others might want to stay. She had built it in case she ever wanted another assistant but she wasn't about to get one any time soon after what Kagato had done. She had actually hoped that Ryoko would have been the first to use it, but after this evening she was beyond caring.  
  
When they had parted Shoji took a hot shower before climbing into bed. He found the small camera in the corner of the room, having noticed others in all of the enclosed sections of the lab, and threw his shirt over it, much to Washu's disappointment. He never wore anything to bed and had figured she was not above using her security system for other purposes having heard a couple of Tenchi's stories that afternoon while the others had been dealing with dinner. In the end though he didn't get much sleep as everything turned over in his mind. A week ago he had led a fairly normal life and now he was friends with a group of aliens playing house at the local shrine. He supposed Tenchi must have felt the same.  
  
***  
  
It was Kiyone who took the following day off leaving Mihoshi to take their workload. She knew it would probably lead to disaster but she had insisted to her partner that she needed to deal with Shoji's induction into galactic awareness herself, so Mihoshi would just have to be careful.  
  
While the other aliens were busy with their daily chores Shoji was with her learning the basics of life around the area and dealing with reams of forms that made sure he was legally allowed know about everything he now knew. Technically they still needed the okay from Galaxy Police headquarters, but given his background, mental state (as verified by Washu), and a variety of other things Shoji couldn't quite understand they were almost certain to get the go ahead. There were naturally hundreds of non-disclosure forms, half of which were thanks to his journalistic profession. Tenchi, being Juraian royalty, was exempt from such trivialities.  
  
When the last of them was done he sat back heavily and blew at the loose hair around his face again. "Thank God that's over."  
  
Kiyone nodded and rubbed her eyes. "I'm glad I never had to do this before. Life is so much simpler when you're just catching the bad guys."  
  
"I almost think you believe that." He pulled his hair out of its small ponytail and lay down on the sofa. "Say, tell me about Mihoshi."  
  
Of all the possible things he could have asked this was the one she was least prepared for, and least able fulfil. "What?"  
  
"Mihoshi, tell me about her. The rest of you I can begin to understand now, but she's still just, well, Mihoshi! I figured I'd be able to learn more about her from you than from going out with her!"  
  
Kiyone's eyes widened in surprise. "You're thinking of dating *Mihoshi*?"  
  
He gave a slightly apologetic chuckle, "Sorry, I guess that is in pretty bad taste, huh? It's nothing against you, just... Oh, I don't know."  
  
Kiyone picked up the slack, knowing what he meant. "Actually this wouldn't be the first time we've passed on dates to each other. I'm just wondering why Mihoshi? You said you were looking for more of a long term relationship after all."  
  
"I am," he agreed, "I just want to know more about her. She's certainly fun to hang around with, and I find that sort of chronic happiness rather appealing. It was my sense of fun that killed my first marriage."  
  
Kiyone was surprised at that and frowned at the implication. "This is new. When were you married?"  
  
Shoji gave a full-blown cackle at that. "Her name was Mai. I met her at college. It was sort of a whirlwind romance type thing. We fell in love, got married, realised we couldn't stand each other after about a year and got divorced. I was single again by twenty. That's why any relationship I go for now I'm going to take slowly."  
  
"Right. So you're going to see if Mihoshi fits the bill."  
  
Shoji shook his head. "I wouldn't put it like that, I was just going to see if we could work. Anyway, I'm not sure now. I mean, you're not even human, it kind of puts a spin on it."  
  
"That doesn't mean much," came Washu's voice from the hall. "Kiyone here is only half Juraian, and Tenchi is a meagre eighth. You and the bubble head would be quite compatible, although I think you're asking for trouble."  
  
Shoji looked over at her, rather put out by her opinion. "Aren't you full of understanding and compassion." It did give him pause for thought though. "Come to think of it she does seem to be rather, well, ditzy I suppose. More than is normal I mean, and I remember you said it's not something to do with her race."  
  
"That's just Mihoshi," said Kiyone. "She can be clumsy and forgetful, but she's good at what she does, and she can always find the good side of *anything*. It actually gets depressing at times."  
  
"Well," said Washu, "I have at least managed to work out how she won at table tennis, and I have to tell someone so you'll do."  
  
Kiyone flopped back in her chair. "Okay Washu-chan, let's hear it."  
  
"Well, it turns out that she was playing on as much instinct as skill. It probably helps in GP work too, her unconscious reaction to stimuli is what drives her when the adrenaline kicks in. Combine this with her natural trigger response and the 'Mihoshi Factor' and she beats every one of us. If it had been a life or death situation instead of a game she would have done even better than she did."  
  
"So what's that 'Mihoshi Factor' then," Shoji asked.  
  
Washu shrugged. "I haven't got a clue, and don't think I haven't tried to work it out. It's probably lots of little things that all work together, or she's blessed by some goddess or other."  
  
Shoji was still pondering that a while later, and he still didn't know much more than when he had first asked.  
  
***  
  
Naturally his next question when they were all together that night was how they had managed to congregate on Earth, and everyone chipped in as the story got told, from Tenchi sneaking into the cave to Mayuka's arrival as a new baby.  
  
Something struck Tenchi however once the story was done. "I think there is a little more though. Before any of you came here."  
  
The others looked at him with puzzled expressions while Ryoko paled.  
  
"You two met before you came here, didn't you?" Tenchi asked, motioning to Ryoko and Ayeka.  
  
Grateful he hadn't mentioned how he had come to know this Ryoko decided answer. "Yeah. Kind of freaky actually, how we kept bumping into each other."  
  
"Indeed," replied Ayeka, "you just couldn't stop harassing me."  
  
"But if you were being held by that Kagato guy..." Shoji started but was cut off by Ryoko's response.  
  
"I did manage to get away. Once. I had about a hundred years on my own before he decided to catch up with me."  
  
"One whole century and all she could do was make a nuisance of herself. It never crossed your mind to do something constructive with your time did it," Ayeka challenged, no longer feeling as intimidated by the pirate as she had been.  
  
"Hey, I tried. How was I supposed to know what to do, huh? All I'd ever done was steal stuff and fight. And when I figure it out you come along and screw it up. *Every time*."  
  
"Slow down girls," Tenchi said raising his hands and hoping to ward off any potential fight, "Why don't you just calmly tell us how it happened."  
  
"Simple Tenchi-sama," Ayeka huffed, "I was kidnapped by this disreputable pirate."  
  
"I was on the run! I had no choice," Ryoko came back. She turned to the others, "I just got away from Kagato. He let me out to rob some temple or something without trying to force me, 'cos I tricked him into thinking I got to like it. Anyway, the Galaxy Police found me and I had to run since I was already 'the most wanted space pirate Ryoko'. That was also when Nagi started going after me but I can't remember too well. Umm, well, since I had to deal with her these Galaxy Police officers nearly got me on some planet but I threw a barrel at them and drenched some kid, so I grabbed her so I could get away without getting my head blown off. Turned out that kid was crown princess of Jurai, and she'd just managed to lose her guardians."  
  
"Couldn't you just regenerate or something?" asked Tenchi.  
  
Ryoko shook her head. "There's only so much I can do without stopping, especially when I'm weak. They'd just capture me."  
  
Ayeka took up the story from there. "Well, *she* took me to this squalid little hut and leaves me in there with barely enough to eat for days."  
  
"At least I fed you!"  
  
"I was only thirty two! I was alone and scared with one of the most dangerous people in the galaxy! I had nightmares for years afterwards. She disappeared off every few hours leaving me tied to the bed so I wouldn't escape. Then when we finally left she used me to fight her way into a ship! I still have the mark from that blast."  
  
"Your ankle..." Sasami whispered, referring to the only lasting injury Ayeka had ever had and shocked beyond belief at what she was hearing. Washu whispered to Tenchi and Shoji that Ayeka would have been equivalent to six years old at the time.  
  
"I spent the two weeks as her hostage until she finally bargained me off for another ship so she could get Ryo-ohki back."  
  
"You loved playing pirate when you weren't whining about something. I learned to do it 'cos Kagato let me read stuff where pirates were the heroes. I wasn't the bad guy then, going around the galaxy stealing from all those rich idiots. I didn't know there was anything wrong, I never learned any different. And you loved it!"  
  
"I was merely a child trying to cope with what you were doing to me!"  
  
"And when I let you go you take the one thing I'd ever managed to find for myself that *I* got for *me*, without Kagato beating the shit out of me for it!"  
  
"A bunch of flowers was hardly recompense for what you did to me, and everyone else over the centuries. You destroyed *planets*!"  
  
"*KAGATO* DESTROYED PLANETS! I hated that, and he hated me for it! I was supposed to kill stuff! IT WAS ALL I *COULD* DO!" Ryoko calmed herself a little as Tenchi looked worriedly at her again. "And when I do try and do something instead of pirating you run me off. I tried selling stuff, I cleaned floors, I got to work in a fucking luxury hotel where no-one knew who I was, and you screwed it up every time!"  
  
"I was avenging myself for what you did to me! And when I was old enough to know better you were playing games with me! I would have let it go at that hotel, you had seemed to be trying but you were stealing from them!"  
  
"Come on, it was only a little booze," Ryoko said, not seeming to get the point.  
  
"It was still theft Ryoko!" Ayeka carried on, "Of course I reported you to the staff. And what makes it worse is that you took off laughing, in a stolen boat no less! You had no compunction about it at all!"  
  
"Hey, I tried, and I ended up doing what I did best! That was the fifth time in as many decades you screwed me over, it was practically a game by then so I was sure as hell going to enjoy it, and Kagato got me in the end so it never mattered anyway!"  
  
Shoji watched the two glare at each other, tears threatening both from the intensity of their arguments, and he realised he had wandered into something that was far deeper than it had first seemed.  
  
***  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
---------------  
  
Please send any comments and criticisms to:  
  
nutzoide@hotmail.com  
  
Or leave them on the archive where you found this story.  
  
If it will help me improve, I want to hear it.  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
Well, our bad guy finally reveals what he is up to and you should be able to see how that has affected events to date. Did anyone guess it?  
  
If you are wondering about Sasami still suffering from cramps, as said in chapter 02 I am writing that Juraians do not reproduce as often as humans due to their life spans, so I would figure their reproductive cycles would be slightly different as well. For those that missed it in here a Juraian menstruates for approximately one week every two months, so Sasami is just about finishing hers here.  
  
And you can finally see why I used the Universe series as well. That scene with Nagi was one of the first I had planned.  
  
***  
  
Translation Notes:  
  
-chan: Diminutive honorific. The closest English speakers have is 'little' or 'li'l'. Used for children, very close friends or lovers. A term of affection with the connotation of youth.  
  
-dono: Translated as 'Lord/Lady' or as 'Sir' in the way a knight would be addressed. Can imply martial prestige.  
  
-ken: The name attached is the name of a sword. The Tenchi-ken is the 'Sword Tenchi'. (It can also mean 'technique' or 'fist' when used as a suffix for the name of a move. I won't be using it that way in this fanfic though.)  
  
-sama: Formal honorific. Translated as 'Lord' or 'Lady'. Very respectful.  
  
-san: Translated as Mr. or Miss. And so on. Can be used for both family and personal names.  
  
-sensei: Translates as teacher or professor and can be used as a word on its own.  
  
Bokken: A wooden training sword.  
  
Chibi: Translates as small with the implication of cuteness. I'm using it when describing a super deformed image of someone. Super deformed is when the character is very small or squashed, chubby and very cute, as seen used in some anime and manga for comic effect.  
  
Imouto: Meaning 'younger sister' and often used with the '-chan' suffix although other can be used.  
  
Kanji: The Japanese naming characters.  
  
Karaoke: Popular pastime. Music is played along with the lyrics and you sing the song yourself.  
  
Kimono: A traditional Japanese outfit tied round the middle with a wide ribbon or similar length of material called an 'Obi'.  
  
Manga: Japanese comics. There are types for pretty much everybody, not just the children and collectors.  
  
Miso: Bean paste often used in soup. Comes in several varieties.  
  
Mori Tatakai: Literally translates as 'Forest Battle'. I used the Japanese since I designed it as a Jurai thing, not Earth related.  
  
Onee-sama / Onee-chan: Meaning 'elder sister'. The '- sama' variation is respected and the '-chan' one is more affectionate.  
  
Onii-sama / Onii-chan: As above but meaning brother. Sasami uses the '-chan' variations of both for members the family because she feels affection for them, as family and friends.  
  
(They can also be used without the 'O' at the beginning when placed after someone's name, signifying that that person is their 'brother' or 'sister'. Sasami uses this for the family she is not immediately related to such as Tenchi and those she considers family like Ryoko.)  
  
Onsen: A public or communal bath. Often associated with a hot spring.  
  
Ramen: A noodle broth.  
  
Sake: Japanese rice wine.  
  
Sashimi: Small portions of raw fish.  
  
Sushi: Small portions of raw fish often with vegetables wrapped in rice and a seaweed sheet.  
  
Tanuki: Smallish Japanese mammal similar to a raccoon (I think). Tanuki statues are often placed outside shops for good luck.  
  
Tempura: A form of deep fried food.  
  
Teriyaki/Sukiyaki: Japanese sauces/marinades.  
  
Wasabi: A hot Japanese horseradish often served on or accompanying sushi.  
  
***  
  
Completed: March 10th - 2003  
  
Posted: April 2nd - 2003 


	6. Then and Now?

Before we start let's get one thing straight: Tenchi Muyo and everything that officially comprises it is owned by AIC and Pioneer. This is unofficial and the story and original characters I create belong to me, so I'd be grateful if you ask before using them in something else. Please, PLEASE don't sue me. I'm only doing this to fuel my egomaniacal sense of self-importance!  
  
***  
  
Faith, Hope & Carrot Soup  
  
- A Tenchi Muyo Fan-Fiction By Nutzoide -  
  
Chapter 5: Then... and Now?  
  
It was after the exposition of Ayeka and Ryoko's past history that Shoji had moved back into his own apartment to help him think things over. Kiyone and Mihoshi had also moved back into theirs at Tenchi's insistence that it was better to give Ayeka and Ryoko some space. In the end that 'space' had turned out to be three days of Tenchi and Sasami helping to head off fights brought up from the re-awakened resentment and the strain was wearing on both of them. It was particularly hard on Sasami since Tenchi could only be in one place at a time leaving both her and Ryo- ohki to complain to each other about their respective relatives' obsessions.  
  
"... and what if Tenchi nii-chan doesn't want either of them?" Sasami asked her friend as they sat on the upper landing of the house among the giant carrot cushions. "What if he wants... well... me? Or Mihoshi-san? I don't think he would want to marry Washu though. I think he's scared of her, and Kiyone-san and him are just friends."  
  
"Miya," Ryo-ohki nodded in agreement. At times like this it grieved her that she couldn't get the hang of human speech yet, but Sasami always seemed to know what she meant. "Miyaa, miya miiya?"  
  
It was easy for Sasami to guess what that had meant and blushed. "No, I don't really want to marry him either. He is nice though." She leaned in conspiratorially, "And he's *really* cute when he's not wearing his shirt!"  
  
This time it was Ryo-ohki's turn to blush, although it was hidden under her fur. She did however lower her eyes to the floor, letting Sasami know exactly what was going on. Unlike Ryoko, Ryo-ohki had a pathetic poker face. "Miya miya miyaaaa." She let out a short sigh and got thoroughly embarrassed again.  
  
Sasami giggled at that. "At least you have Ken-ohki. I wish I could meet someone."  
  
"Miya mya miya miya," Ryo-ohki said sadly.  
  
Sasami frowned before smiling at her friend again. "Hmmm, I think it'll be okay Ryo-chan. Nagi and Ryoko nee-chan can't hate each other forever. They even look kind of alike."  
  
"Miya miya."  
  
"Oh, you mean Ryoko won't let you go and look for him? Well, I think it would be kind of dangerous, but if you really do like him then that will help Ryoko be friends with her. Why do they fight anyway?"  
  
Ryo-ohki shook her head. "Miya."  
  
"Ryoko nee-chan said she can't remember either." Sasami got up and brushed down her dress. "I'd better go and see if the others need any help. Do you want to come?"  
  
"Miya," the cabbit girl replied hopping to her feet before to two of them ran playfully downstairs to find out how Tenchi was holding up.  
  
***  
  
Over the last three days Shoji had ended up spending each night with the two Galaxy Police detectives sating his thirst for information. He was also thoroughly enjoying having the secret to keep around everyone else, not that he hung around with anyone else much. His core group of friends had split just under a year ago when two of them had left to work abroad, which was why he was enjoying spending so much time around his new alien friends. Under his casual exterior however it did worry him that the group was so highly strung, and he seemed to be getting paranoid along with them. Spending time with just the two G.P. detectives was far easier on the brain and he did rather enjoy watching their bickering friendship.  
  
It was on Friday that Kiyone finally gave up trying to answer the constant ream of questions and decided to take him over to Washu the next day for a thorough lecture session on galactic life. Until then she left him with Mihoshi, whose enthusiasm seemed to match his thirst for answers.  
  
Perhaps they are suited to each other after all, she thought as she watched Mihoshi ramble on about the various galactic sects and institutions she knew of.  
  
Shoji himself was utterly engrossed in Mihoshi's speech. Although far from an academic he had first become a journalist because of his love of finding knowledge. In the end it didn't matter how trivial it was, but it was the fact that he had found it out that he always liked. At this point of his life there was very little tying him down besides the need to eat, and he had been thinking that exploring the galaxy would be an eminently fascinating way to spend his life. He need never be bored again! Of course he had no illusions that that would be a very lonely way to live, and he was a social person at heart. In the end that was why Mihoshi had piqued his interest; she was totally and completely open with everyone, and despite the tensions among their group he had never failed to enjoy her company, which was rare by anyone's standards.  
  
As it turned out Mihoshi wasn't blind to that fact either. Shoji was one of the few people who never picked on her and she was very aware of it. She had thought he was a fun person when she had met him and he still was over a week later. That meant by her understanding that he wasn't acting nice to try and impress her like some people did, he was just happy to have her around and she was happy that he felt like that. As she spoke she idly remembered seeing him fighting against Nagi and how he looked so determined not to let her hurt the rest of them. He was brave as well as nice and a part of her was beginning to hope he would ask her out.  
  
When she zoned back into reality she realised she had no idea what she had been saying over the last five minutes, and by the look on Shoji's face she had to hope it wasn't anything embarrassing.  
  
After a minute of her flustering he smiled. He still didn't get her, but he wasn't sure it mattered any more, and out in the kitchen Kiyone smiled for her partner. Typical Mihoshi. I'd wish you luck, but I don't think you need any more of that. You always make your own anyway.  
  
***  
  
The next day Shoji found that he was not he only one to be taking the lesson in Washu's lab. A thoroughly bedraggled Tenchi also sat at one of the school desks in the portion of Washu's lab that acted as classroom. It seemed that Ryoko and Ayeka had not gotten any better since the last time he had been there.  
  
"Yeah," replied Tenchi when he had enquired about it, "they're driving each other up the wall. Right now I'd take putting up with Washu over dealing with them."  
  
The comment got him a sturdy ceramic tanuki over the head and he glared at Washu coming through the door.  
  
"Is that any way to talk about the greatest scientific genius in the universe?"  
  
Luckily for the two would-be students the genius in question was also too busy trying to get rid of Mihoshi who wanted to help with the class.  
  
"Pleeeaase Washu-chan? I always wanted to be a teacher. If I wasn't a Galaxy Police detective that's what I'd be!"  
  
"No way sashimi for brains! For the last time get out of my lab! How did you get in here in the first place anyway?"  
  
"Come on Washu-chan stop being mean, I only want to help. I... WAAAAHHH!" Mihoshi cried as a metallic pincer grabbed her and whisked her off. "TENCHI-SAN! SHOJI-SAN! HELP MEEEeeee!"  
  
Washu dusted her hands and went back to preparing the day's lecture. "One day I'm going to make this place *completely* Mihoshi-proof," she muttered to herself. "I just have to keep at it."  
  
Shoji watched all this with disbelief. There was still a lot to shock you even after almost a week knowing the truth about the Masaki group. "Is she going to be alright?" he asked Tenchi who was watching the scene with resignation.  
  
"Yeah, Mihoshi and this place don't mix anyway, so it's probably for the best. I really need a rest here and whatever she may be Mihoshi is never restful."  
  
"So who's taking your shift?" Shoji asked.  
  
"Tsunami's keeping an eye on them." Tenchi said. "You know, to be honest I think she's having the hardest time of anyone. You can never really tell with her, but she isn't smiling much anymore and she's been disappearing more often again. I don't know what it is but... It just doesn't seem like her, at least not the way she had been recently."  
  
Shoji thought about that. He hadn't really seen her much at all after the football game.  
  
***  
  
Out in the garden the goddess in question was tending the flowers while watching Ryoko dipping her feet off the edge of the decking and into the lake.  
  
It all seems so delicate from here, she thought as she watched. It takes so little to cause so much, and yet so little again to repair the damage. And yet the scars will remain until the day she dies. I never wanted to harbour such bitter feelings within myself, and I cannot help but feel for her plight. No creature should have to live the life she has been forced through, and yet she is the person she is today because of it. A kind, happy, lonely, scared, angry, confused, loving person. It all seemed so simple once and now I cannot justify the need for it all without regret for the pain it caused, however necessary it may have been."  
  
She smiled sadly at the flower she held in her hand. She could see the intricate pattern of life flowing throughout it, the beauty in the simple form of its physical shell. When she had first started to become who she was becoming now such things had held rapturous delight, simply because of their existence. Now it seemed such a small beauty compared to what she could feel, and what she should be feeling.  
  
I dislike the hatred. Recriminations and depression serve nothing but to beget themselves. Such emotions feel so sickly to me, and yet I cannot help but harbour them now. If only I could allow myself to stop this needless exercise and look beyond. I have hope that they shall survive this assault, just like they survived the last. Their bonds make them stronger than they realise, and they will grow because of this new plight. But I want to find out why and who and save them the pain of it all, even if I had to shoulder it myself. They are my family and I cannot even lift a finger to help through fear what my influence may do. I feel so dirty.  
  
She raised her head to look back to Ryoko only to find the world blurred before her as tears trickled down her cheeks. She touched the watery tracks in wondrous disbelief and raised the droplet to her lips.  
  
The act held more feeling than she could have imagined. It was almost poetic that the taste of her own sorrow was something so delicate. She willed the tears from her face, the water dissipating into the air, and walked serenely over to her charge.  
  
"Hello Ryoko-san. Would you care for some tea?"  
  
Ryoko looked up, confusion melting away the hostile indifference she had been feeling as she stared across the water. "Uhh, yeah, sure."  
  
Ryoko had never understood Tsunami.  
  
***  
  
By the time the lecture was over Tenchi was practically falling asleep at the desk. His grandfather had insisted the talk would be good for him considering he was in fact the current crown prince of Jurai, if only in title. It was also a great excuse to get some time away from the two quarrelling girls, but his lack of sleep over the last three days had finally caught up with him.  
  
"Okay folks, I think we'd better call this a wrap before Tenchi-dono here passes out over his desk!" Washu and her lecture podium, along with her clothes, vanished in a theatrical puff of smoke leaving she scientist clad in her usual shirt and shorts.  
  
Tenchi nodded. "Thanks Washu-chan. It was interesting though. I think I'm going to take a nap before supper."  
  
She walked over to help him out only to have him back away.  
  
"Uh, that's okay Washu-chan. I can do it. Could you get Sasami to call me when we eat?"  
  
"Sure thing Tenchi-dono."  
  
Washu watched him as he practically staggered out of the room. She sat down dejectedly on her cushion which floated almost to the ground. "Why are you scared of me Tenchi? I'm only playing."  
  
"Dominant women aren't very common in Japan. At least not in public."  
  
She looked round to see Shoji still sitting at his desk. "Oh, Shoji-san, I'd forgotten you were here."  
  
"Thanks," he replied sarcastically. "Actually I get that quite a bit. People don't expect me to be able to keep my mouth shut."  
  
"I like the quiet. When you spend half your life alone in a lab you get used to just hearing the sound of your own voice."  
  
"You certainly seem to like it!" he smirked.  
  
Washu glared at him. "Get over yourself."  
  
Shoji raised his eyebrows. "That sounds interesting coming from you."  
  
Washu tuned back to face the door. "I know what you're trying to do. After 20,000 years you get to know a bit about the way people speak. It won't work."  
  
Shoji lightly gave his cackle-like chuckle. "Well, at least you aren't too much like your daughter. I think she would have killed me in a second."  
  
Washu smiled a little to herself. "I doubt she's got it in her any more. Especially after what she did to Ayeka-sama. I can feel it when they argue now, she's scared to do anything in case something else happens. She doesn't like you though. Neither do I."  
  
"Oh? I though we were getting on quite well."  
  
"You like learning. I like that about you. You want to learn about me. I don't want to be learnt about."  
  
Shoji rose from his seat and the set of desks vanished back into the floor. He sat down almost back to back with the scientist. He thought that would look pretty cool given the way they were talking. Atmosphere is everything to a photographer and he'd gotten used to thinking like that.  
  
"It's pretty obvious you and Ryoko don't get on too well, family wise I mean, and I can understand why if what you all told me is true. I don't understand the way you behave much though. I don't think Tenchi does either. I think that's why you scare him."  
  
Washu looked up and Shoji could feel her red mane of hair brush against his back. "Are you trying to play psychiatrist?"  
  
He smiled and shook his head, even though she couldn't see it. "Nah, I just think Tenchi's holding up pretty well with all of you. In this country women are traditionally subservient. Personally I think that's a complete crock, but that's the way we were brought up. Tenchi's got six, no, seven very strong women in his life so no wonder he's skittish. God knows I would be."  
  
"That's what I keep telling Ryoko. She's not used to dealing with people on an emotional level so she does what she's used to, going in head first and making as much of it as she can."  
  
"You're not used to dealing with people either."  
  
Washu laughed. "And what makes you think that 'Mugai- sensei'? Some incredible affinity for other people that will let you solve their problems at the drop of a hat?"  
  
He chucked along with that. "You already told me you've lived half your life alone in here. I think I'm allowed to work that one out!"  
  
"Okay then." Washu shifted her position. "I'll tell you what you want to know. The others know it anyway. But you have to spill something too. Something important *you* hide, and I can tell if you lie so don't even try it."  
  
"Kiss and tell huh?" he smirked again.  
  
"You haven't got a chance with me. Save that for the bubble brain."  
  
Shoji sighed. Another round of Washu's views on Mihoshi wouldn't help. What the hell. Not like I've got anything to lose here.  
  
"My sister was killed when I was sixteen. She got hit by some drunk driver who smashed his skull in when he went through the windscreen. She was the one who pretty much raised me since Mum and Dad died when I was young. My whole world revolved around her when I wasn't in school. She was as good a parent as I ever knew, and she would have been a great mother to some lucky kid if she had had any, even if she did work as well. I was too young to remember my parents dying so that was the first time I ever had to deal with something like that. Plus I was the one who had to I.D. her since some sick freak had stolen her wallet at the site. That screwed me up. I wasn't ready to live on my own then, I was just too used to having her around. In the end it was the nightmares that made me go to the school counsellor and she sorted me out. I couldn't bottle it up any more and everyone at school knew I was drinking. That's the reason I'm careful about what I drink now. I can't stand the memories it brings back when I get blasted, and the nightmares that go with that."  
  
He gave an uncomfortable cough. "Well, that's the only sob story in my life. I've had it pretty good otherwise, so I'm not one to complain... You want to take your turn now?"  
  
Washu was quiet for a while and they both sat in silence. The room had taken on a mood of it's own.  
  
"I was married once. We were both studying at the academy at the time. When I think about it those were the happiest days of my life. I was doing something I loved with the man I loved. We had a son, a beautiful baby boy. My husband came from a very prestigious family though, and while I was away on a field assignment they called him home. Apparently I wasn't good enough for him so he and our son were taken from me. After that I had nothing left to care about. If that was all that mattered to the 'adults' then I never wanted to be like them. I wanted to be free to live and love without caring about politics or status or anything like that. That's why I look like I do. After that I threw myself into my work, the only thing I still had that I loved. But even then it wasn't the same. Nothing ever is."  
  
After a while Shoji broke the silence again. "What happened to them?"  
  
"I never wanted to find out. I didn't think I could bear it. They'll both be long dead by now. I'm probably one of the oldest people in the galaxy. It's in the past, and if their families are still around now I won't bother them. They don't need a ghost from a past they never knew turning up, and I like it here with Tenchi-dono and my daughter."  
  
Another silence followed, again broken by Shoji. "Kiyone and Mihoshi are staying tonight. Do you think you could put me up again."  
  
Washu got up and patted down her shirt. "Follow me Shoji- san."  
  
"So, do you still hate me, or am I off the hook?" he asked off hand as they headed for the spare room.  
  
"You pass, but you're no Tenchi."  
  
"And for that I am eternally grateful!"  
  
***  
  
Washu was still thinking about that conversation later that night. I do like it here with Tenchi-dono and my daughter. When she is my daughter.  
  
Now that she thought about it Ryoko wasn't her daughter very often, and only then when things were going her way. All children are selfish at heart, but she couldn't call Ryoko a child. Even when she was 'born' she was fully formed. True, her body would grow and change as her mind matured and she found who she wanted to be, but she never would have had the chance of a normal childhood, even if it weren't for Kagato.  
  
Washu would never be able to sleep. As little as she needed it sleep would have been welcome now. She flipped on her monitors again via her laptop. Ryoko was the one sitting with Mayuka tonight. It would either have been Ryoko or Tenchi, or Washu herself. That was what she had been hoping for anyway, but the girl had beaten her to it. Again. You're getting maternal Ryoko-chan. Better watch out or you'll end up playing mother to her.  
  
Washu shut down the screen and banished the computer to wherever it always disappeared to. As she let her mind wander she found herself heading for her 'techno-suite', the huge set of computer banks in the darkest room she had. That was her 'mad scientist' room.  
  
Of course she rarely use it any more. The only reason she was there now sat resting on top of one of the consoles. She played idly with the tape for a while before it found it's way into the VCR she had added to the mass of computers.  
  
When the screen lit up she saw Ryoko in the examination apparatus looking rather peeved. That soon gave way to nervousness, then the defenceless Ryoko emerged for all the world to see. The Ryoko that Washu had so longed to know. The Ryoko that needed her there.  
  
"Mummy? Please release me! Mummy! Please Mummy!"  
  
Washu had waited so long to hear Ryoko call her that.  
  
"Don't leave me here! Don't leave me behind plee-ee-ease! I don't want to be alone! It's *dark*. It's *scary*! *Mummy*! *MUMMY*!"  
  
Somehow though Washu couldn't feel as good about it now as she could before. For some reason Ryoko just seem as cute this time round. She watched the screen as the tears fell across Ryoko's cheeks and her blue hair swayed restlessly.  
  
Washu's eyes shot open. Ryoko's hair wasn't blue! She stared at the screen again to see her daughter's cyan spikes. Maybe she really was tired after all.  
  
Then the screams for help took on a new tone. A smaller slender body hung in Ryoko's place, scared orange eyes replaced Ryoko's yellow ones and the short blue hair returned.  
  
"Ma... Mayuka?"  
  
Mayuka had looked the same when everything started to happen to her those seven months ago. When she was terrified.  
  
Washu suddenly felt very sick. A teenage Mayuka being manipulated and tortured by Yuzuha. A vulnerable Ryoko being taken advantage of by her in her own lab.  
  
Ryoko's pleas sounded new when they started again through the tears: the sound of someone afraid and in real need of care, being denied it by the one person who should have given it to her - the person who had done this to her in the first place. If anyone had done that to Mayuka she would personally have flayed them alive. She had done it to her own child.  
  
Washu's cry went unheard as she dragged the massive sledgehammer from her sub-space portal and crushed the machine that was showing her these things.  
  
***  
  
It was five minutes later when the weapon fell from Washu's limp fingers and crashed to the floor. All that was left of the screen and tape machine was a heap of wasted metal and glass as she gulped air into her lungs and forced her eyes shut. Eventually she fell to the floor, her legs unable to bear her any more, and wept into her hands.  
  
By the time Washu had finished the next morning there was nothing left to find of that tape.  
  
***  
  
"Good morning Shoji-san."  
  
Shoji peered up to see Tenchi watching him. "Morning," he replied somewhat subdued.  
  
"Breakfast's ready if you want some. I was just going to get Washu-chan."  
  
Shoji gave a mental sigh. "I don't think she wants to be disturbed right now Tenchi."  
  
Tenchi frowned but shrugged all the same. It certainly wasn't the first time she wouldn't be appearing for a meal.  
  
"*Mihoshi!*"  
  
The pair cringed and headed for the kitchen in time to see Mihoshi, Sasami and Ayeka running around the room trying to stop Mihoshi's control cube from destroying the place. It bounced around like a demented pink rabbit seemingly trying to cause as much havoc as possible before being stopped by the righteous foot of Ayeka Jurai.  
  
"Thank you very much Detective," she said, the sarcasm clearly audible in her voice, "I'm very glad to see the Galaxy Police has such wonderful equipment training."  
  
"I'm sorry," Mihoshi said, "I just thought it might help, but it didn't work right."  
  
Ayeka gave her a 'you got that right!' look. "Next time leave that thing to Kiyone."  
  
Mihoshi deflated slightly at the remark and Sasami looked from the struggling cube under her sister's foot to its owner. "Can you fix it so we can eat now? I think breakfast is still safe."  
  
Mihoshi's brow furrowed in concentration. She was pretty sure she knew which one of the several hundred twist combinations reset it to its original state. She also knew she had to follow orders as a member of the Galaxy police. "Kiyone," she called, "my cube's gone bananas!"  
  
Ayeka wasn't her superior officer but she *was* a princess so she would probably be able to make orders to anyone, maybe even her grandfather, and he was Galaxy Police Marshall.  
  
Kiyone appeared looking somewhat less that alert being still in her pyjamas and straightening the orange headband she always wore. "Define 'bananas' Mihoshi."  
  
"Umm... well, actually it's more like cabbits, or really strange bouncy things. It's hopping everywhere."  
  
Kiyone's eyebrows lifted as she processed the information. "Let's have a look at it."  
  
Ayeka slowly lifted her foot off the berserk little gadget in readiness for capture but it managed to spring out of her grasp before she could get it. Luckily Mihoshi intercepted it with a deft whack and it ended up in Kiyone's hands.  
  
"Okay, that was odd." She peered closely at the struggling device. "I don't know what the hell you did to it here Mihoshi. You managed to drive your own control cube crazy and it isn't even sentient, or at least it wasn't."  
  
"Kiyone!" Mihoshi whined.  
  
From the door Tenchi and Shoji looked at each other before retiring to the living room, glad to be out of the way. Kiyone joined them soon after with the rogue device, looking for all the world like she was trying to puzzle out a Rubix cube made entirely of pink glass. Shoji made a mental note to ask about that after breakfast, and Tenchi having seen such things many times before just tried to enjoy the first morning in days where Ayeka and Ryoko were being civil to each other.  
  
***  
  
"At its most basic level it's a storage access device."  
  
Kiyone placed the now subdued cube on the table, which was now cleared of what had been left of their meal. Shoji carefully picked up the device again and set about examining it. It was completely smooth, transparent pink and very slightly cool to the touch.  
  
"How do you twist it? It looks solid."  
  
That was something Kiyone found very strange about him. With the wealth of new questions he could have asked it was always the most simple and mundane that came first.  
  
"Actually I'm not sure why it's designed like that," she said, trying to remember if that had even been explained to them when they had first received the cubes. "It could be a simple anti-theft device. I guess if you've never seen one used before you wouldn't know how to operate it. Think about it in terms of Washu's lab and that's pretty much how it works. It transfers items to and from subspace, as well as being the trigger for plenty of Galaxy Police devices."  
  
"Very handy, but Mihoshi seems to have trouble using it." He tried twisting one of the sides of the cube, which gave way under the force and sent Mihoshi's ID pen clattering to the table. It was the one thing Kiyone had told him how to do. Apparently the cube had a set front, back, top and bottom, not that he could tell any of them apart. She had had to tell him which way round to hold it.  
  
"Mihoshi has trouble with lots of things." Kiyone smiled a slightly crafty smile. She really wanted to see his reaction to the next trick it had. "Try squashing it. Just push two of the sides together."  
  
When Shoji did his eyes nearly popped out of his head. The cube had somehow turned into a white pom-pom about the size of his fist. "Wow!"  
  
Kiyone couldn't help but giggle. That was something every schoolchild took for granted. "It'll stick to your clothing now. That's how it gets carried around."  
  
Shoji cautiously prodded it a bit. "It doesn't feel adhesive."  
  
"It'll only attach itself to cloth. Or your hair for some reason. I think that's something they couldn't get sorted out in the design."  
  
Naturally Shoji tried it and Kiyone laughed out loud at the site of him with the pom-pom dangling from the loose hair around his face. He shook his head but the puff ball refused to budge. When he took it however it slid off like silk. "Now I'm *really* confused," he said.  
  
Kiyone shook her head. "It'll be easier if you just accept it. There will be certain things that ignore pretty much everything you know about physics, and this is one of them. There are plenty of 'normal' things too. This is a very useful exception, as is pretty much everything we consider to be high technology. Actually, having said that these things are getting out of date. We're likely to get issued newer models some time soon."  
  
"Something new for you to learn. It must be tough trying to update every time something new comes along if they're all as complicated as this."  
  
Kiyone shrugged. "I suppose so. At least Mihoshi might have a better chance of finding out how the next one works."  
  
Shoji thought about that. From everything he had seen and heard it sounded like Mihoshi wasn't really cut out for her job, but she had obviously managed to do quite well for herself. "Well, if she's so... inept, jeez that sounds cruel, but how did she get to where she is if she can't cut it?"  
  
Kiyone sighed. "That's what everyone says. Truth is she's good at her job. She's frighteningly good at it. It's just like her life I guess. She has more than her share of flaws, but she manages to point out *every* *little* *thing* I do wrong. Everything. It's like she's my damn conscience. And she always does it so innocently like it's the most obvious thing in the world. It's no wonder her last partner transferred out, she can make you feel so inadequate and she doesn't even realise she's doing it!"  
  
Kiyone realised she was venting her frustration again and looked down to see the fingernail marks in her palms. It was tragic, but she almost felt like crying when she thought about it. "I get so angry at her and she just curls up and cries because she doesn't know what she did wrong. Half the time she's oblivious and half she'll guilt trip you because she too naive to realise what she's doing."  
  
Shoji raised his eyebrows as he listened. "Actually that's one of the things I liked about her. That innocence is so damned cute!"  
  
Kiyone laughed almost harshly. "Well believe me it's a double edged sword." She looked back down to her hands again, ashamed of what she was divulging. "I hate her for it sometimes. She was just the same when we were in the Galaxy Police academy. I was in the class above her and we ended up rooming together because of overcrowding. They really piled on the recruitment that year. It was thanks to that we got partnered together after I made Detective First Class. I struggled to get where I am. My career took over for a while because I'd put too much into it to let anything else matter. I graduated straight into fieldwork, that's pretty good, and got partnered to a vice cop at the Tandue Station. It was basically a trade gate that took a lot of looking after thanks to pirates and smugglers. That was a rough introduction for a new recruit. In the end I applied for the tough cases just because that was the only experience I had. The Clarrisen den run was the worst, but I guess it was the best posting I ever had too. It's an underground freeway used by bounty hunters that runs though a huge asteroid belt. The problem is it's so big the bounty hunters aren't the only people using it. A couple even make their livings just from the people they can catch there."  
  
She pulled off her headband and ran her fingers through her long teal hair. Shoji didn't miss the faded scar across the left side of her forehead just below the hairline, and she noticed him noticing. "I spent two years working there and this wasn't the only one I left with." She tapped the scar. "It was a rough place, and for all I know it still is. Thanks to the asteroids nothing bigger than a Sigil class ship can get in, so it's a haven for refugees, fugitives, you name it, they're there. The Galaxy Police always have a small squad of people there to keep it from getting out of control. I went in ahead as scout for the assault missions and did anything they needed a single officer for since most of the others were the heavy combat team and a few tactical and tech types. After the thirty seventh bust and more nasty encounters that I like to remember I got promoted out of there to First Class and put on major general call. Wherever I was at the time I'd get the big missions that turned up, 'most wanted' type cases, or anything the local law couldn't handle. It also meant I had to take a partner, and who was waiting for me but Mihoshi. She was promoted five *months* before me and had already driven off her first partner. They figured since I roomed with her at the academy I could 'keep her under control'."  
  
She sat back heavily, her hair falling around her face. "She'd somehow managed to rack up an amazing arrest record, half of which she almost stumbled into or picked up by chance. She seemed to stroll though it with the same damned happy optimism like it was nothing!"  
  
She really was on the verge of tears now, just at the unfairness of it. "And the worst part is she did it herself. Something will always, and I mean *always* go wrong, but she'll succeed. People said it was because she's the Marshal's granddaughter that she got where she is, but that's bullshit. She'll accidentally blow up the building or get a few bystanders some minor injuries, but she'll succeed because she's *good*. She's got this... talent for invisible patterns and all that naivete will end up working for her somehow, because sometimes the most basic common sense gets lost in all that 'proper' police behaviour we get drilled into us."  
  
Kiyone looked up and fixed Shoji squarely in the eyes. "And she got the next promotion. We're partners and *she* got it. They wanted to make her a field supervisor. She could have been a section chief by now, just like they thought *I* would have been now when *I* was at the academy. And she turned it down! She wanted to stay out in the field so she could 'go out an fight crime'. She couldn't do that behind a desk. I'd have jumped at it like a shot but she stayed, because she sincerely wanted to be out helping people. But the high ups thought it was too costly to keep her out in the thick of everything no matter how well she could do, so since they couldn't promote her out of the field she got assigned this sector of the galaxy, and me right along with her. Out in the middle of nowhere where we can't cause any more trouble. I don't doubt she's been through some bad stuff, I know I have been, but she's still the same bright Mihoshi she was at the beginning."  
  
"Surely that not her fault though," said Shoji.  
  
Kiyone shook her head. "No, but I still resent her for it. I paid for my career with blood, sweat and tears. Literally. I don't know what she went through, but she makes me feel like everything *I* did was for nothing. And she's still happy, stuck out here."  
  
Shoji looked at her. "You're not happy?"  
  
"I wasn't. Not at first. After a couple of years you get used to life like this. It's just... I feel so useless. All my life I've been fighting to prove myself, I've risked everything because I had to. Now I'm stuck behind a counter or waiting tables for a salary that barely keeps us fed."  
  
Shoji smiled trying to lighten the atmosphere. "It sounds like desk work wouldn't have suited you either."  
  
Kiyone gave a half-hearted smile. "I always did like planning operations, so Field Section Chief would have been nice, but even so I'd at least have been doing something worthwhile."  
  
On the landing upstairs Mihoshi sat among the carrot cushions, a manga held forgotten in her hands. The conversation below her was the only thing that was registering.  
  
***  
  
It was three hours later when her walls broke down. Mihoshi had always been the bright bouncy happy face of life, because that was what she wanted other people to feel too. She had fought too, but when you tell people that, they aren't happy any more. All through the academy she had been the class joke; 'Poor little Mihoshi' 'The G.P. typhoon' 'The high concentrate blonde'. She was an 'it', something to be laughed at because she was different. They had all been so surprised she had come top of the class in the combined ratings and that had hurt, because nobody thought she could even pass the course. But it had been worth it because Kiyone was right, she really did love her job.  
  
And now there was one more person who made jokes about her. Tenchi had never done that before, and she had known him over two years. That why it had hurt so much. That felt like more of a betrayal than almost anything else she had known.  
  
She ran out onto the grass trying to block out the voices coming from the house. She didn't want to hear them any more.  
  
"Mihoshi, *wait*!"  
  
She tried to blink away the tears only to find herself colliding with something that sent her to the ground. She looked up to see Katsuhito standing over her looking curiously down.  
  
"I'm sorry," she said quickly as she got to her feet. Before she could start running again she felt his hand grab her wrist.  
  
"What's the matter Mihoshi-san? Those tears don't suit you you know," he commented with concern.  
  
"I don't... I don't want to be here any more. Please let me go."  
  
Katsuhito looked past her to see his grandson and the others running up. "Tenchi, would you mind telling me why Mihoshi-san here intends to deprive us of her company?"  
  
Tenchi stopped to catch his breath and looked shamefaced towards the ground. "I... made a joke I shouldn't have."  
  
"And what might this joke have been?"  
  
"Something stupid, okay?" Tenchi snapped, irritated by his grandfather's seeming lack of tact. "Mihoshi-san, I'm very sorry for hurting you like that. I didn't mean for you to take it as anything more than a joke. Please accept my apologies." He bowed low to her.  
  
Mihoshi stared at him through reddened eyes. "How did you even know I wasn't just being a baby again?"  
  
Behind them Ryoko muttered under her breath, "When aren't you?" drawing a glare from Ayeka, who quietly sniped at her.  
  
Tenchi ignored the both of them. Mihoshi's upset tone had startled him but the answer was simple enough and he gave her a hopeful smile. "Because of this," he said as he wiped a tear from her face, startling her a little. "I've never seen you cry like this before, so I knew I'd really hurt you, and I'm sorry for it."  
  
She hadn't wailed or tried to make them say it was okay. She'd just let out a sob and run. It was so unlike her normal theatrical fits of tears they all knew how badly she had been affected by it.  
  
"Mihoshi nee-chan? Please don't go away. We'll all really miss you if you do."  
  
Mihoshi looked down to see Sasami there with tears in her eyes.  
  
Ryo-ohki nodded in sad confirmation. "Miya!"  
  
Tenchi nodded as well. "Please come back and we can eat. If you still want to stay."  
  
Mihoshi smiled and gave a sniffle. "Th-thank you Tenchi- san." She stepped in and hugged him.  
  
At that the two bickering girls stopped their arguments to goggle at the scene.  
  
"GET THE HELL OFF MY TENCHI!"  
  
"LEAVE TENCHI-SAMA ALONE!"  
  
Mihoshi practically jumped back with her hands clasped to her chest. Tenchi turned slowly round glaring intensely at the pair. "Would you two just CUT IT *OUT* ALREADY," he roared, startling everyone who was there.  
  
Both Ayeka and Ryoko took a step back in surprise before lowering their heads again, Ryoko teleporting off to the table and Ayeka humbly waiting for him, both thoroughly chastised. Tenchi didn't shout unless he *really* meant it.  
  
"Come on, let's go and eat. Sasami-chan's made a great meal."  
  
From the back of the group Shoji watched feeling very much the outsider. As they all headed back to the house Sasami held Kiyone's hand to stop her.  
  
"Yes Sasami-chan?"  
  
Sasami looked up, her teary eyes full of worry. "Kiyone-san, I think something's really wrong with everybody."  
  
Kiyone sighed. "Things like this happen to adults Sasami- chan. A lot has happened recently."  
  
"But that's what I mean," Sasami insisted, "it's not right. Tsunami won't tell me anything so I think she doesn't want to make anything bad happen, but I think that means something really *is* wrong. Mihoshi isn't normally like that, is she?"  
  
Kiyone shook her head. "No. I haven't seen her like that for a long, long time. You could be right. We'll ask Washu about it after lunch."  
  
Sasami lowered her head as they both headed back inside. "Washu-san won't come out to eat. And she didn't let me in."  
  
***  
  
It was early evening when the non-residents of the house decided to leave. The afternoon had crawled by in a spiral of confusion and, in Ayeka and Ryoko's case, un-displayed recrimination. Shoji stayed behind to help Sasami with the dishes and he had told Kiyone and Mihoshi not to wait.  
  
In truth he just wanted to leave on his own and at least that way he could try and help the young princess cope with everything that seemed to be happening. As such it was getting dark when he left the house, bidding the girls good night, Tenchi having gone to bed early again.  
  
Poor kid. That's probably about as snapped as he gets, he thought as he passed the two guardians at the gate, remembering to acknowledge them as sentient. Each of them leaned forward in turn, as close to a bow in response as they could manage given their solid state.  
  
"See you guys. Look after them," he said.  
  
"That is our job Shoji-san, but indeed we will," Kamidake replied.  
  
"Enjoy the night Shoji-san," Azaka added as the man walked off.  
  
"Yeah, you too."  
  
The two guardians stood in silence for a while, enjoying the clam, cool evening atmosphere.  
  
"Something tells me he may not be returning too soon," commented Kamidake.  
  
Azaka had thought the same. "Yes, I believe he is having trouble with the excess of emotional stress that seems to have arrived here. Of course he is only human. I'm am very glad I do not have the capacity for such fine empathy."  
  
"Yes." Kaidake noticed someone approach and stalled his next comment. "Tsunami-sama, good evening."  
  
"Good evening my lady," greeted his companion.  
  
Tsuanmi nodded to the pair as she walked up. "Good evening Azaka, Kamidake." She stood at the gate between the two as she looked off sadly down the path.  
  
"What troubles you my lady?" asked Azaka, somewhat confused by her melancholy mood. "Shoji-san's departure?"  
  
Tsunami smiled slightly. "You are very astute Azaka. He will not be returning by his own will."  
  
"We thought as much," Azaka said. "He did not seem immune from the chaos that has descended recently."  
  
"He is not," Tsunami agreed, "and neither am I. He will keep our secrets, but he has given up hope of making use of them. He was very eager to see the stars."  
  
"Should we inform the household Tsunami-sama?"  
  
"No Kamidake, they have troubles enough, and they will discover the truth when they are ready."  
  
***  
  
"Damn it, useless Earth-man. Initiate stage four G. Sasami- sama has suspicions and since we can't effect her we have no more time to wait. You were right Syren, he was too much of a risk."  
  
Syren looked at her creator. "I am... unsure."  
  
The old man looked at her beautiful featureless face in surprise. "Oh?"  
  
"My apologies. The additional programming you uploaded must have corrupted. The effects of the process you intend leave me... in discomfort."  
  
"Ah, Syren, it appears you are growing faster than we thought. Unfortunately such action is necessary this time, whatever your moral response. Under different circumstances I would feel the same." He rose from the chair and headed for the door. "I am still quite capable of doing this myself. Continue monitoring."  
  
"Yes Taishi-sama."  
  
Syren turned to the mass of screens. As she 'watched' the now calm Masaki house she gently ran her hand across her face. No eyes in existence could math the sensors she had built into her cranial area, but she found herself envying the creature that she watched. Somehow, on some level, she wished to be like her.  
  
She was a she. The latest set of code had included the ability to differentiate and understand gender on the emotional level. She was female, but she was machine. The smooth, elegant, clean surface of her face could hold no emotion as the humans she watched could. As her creator could.  
  
Her hand came lower, feeling the shaft of her neck though the newly activated sensors in her metal skin, and rested on her chest. At first the extra mass had been a source of necessary annoyance. She had trained her responses in movement and combat to use the weight of her previous sleek form. Her bladed arm had been the pay off for the additional calibration the sensor storage areas required. Now she understood their purpose in organic women, though she would never bear offspring. She trailed her fingers across her breast, experiencing the differing sensation that caused. So different in structure, and yet I feel what she would feel.  
  
Her hand slid from her breast down her left arm to the large blade that rested there. She had been so pleased to receive it. Now she could appreciate the sensation though it felt cold and dead. The part of her that had no feeling. A touch across the face felt of caring, across the breast felt pleasurable, the arm spoke of security, but the blade felt nothing. She looked over its surface, the clean, sharp lines separated down the core by the energy emitter installed there. As a metal blade it was unparalleled for her methods. She ignited the energy blade. The small globe of power sat in the slit, the scythe-like blade that it controlled shining out like a mantis with its arm extended. As a weapon it was perfect for her, each part of it exquisitely designed for whatever form of combat she would encounter.  
  
But she still felt nothing more from it that the power drain that it required to exist. She dispelled the energy and sat back to watch the screen, no longer as impassive as she knew she should be to her existence.  
  
***  
  
To Be Continued...  
  
---------------  
  
Please send any comments and criticisms to:  
  
nutzoide@hotmail.com  
  
Or leave them on the archive where you found this story.  
  
If it will help me improve, I want to hear it.  
  
Author's Notes:  
  
I really wanted to get more into Syren's character here which is where the final scene came from. Quite where I'm going to go with it I'm not sure. Although she started out as a piece of additional material for 'Taishi-sama' I'm finding myself wanting to write her as well now that she is looking at life.  
  
This chapter also turned out far more character based than I had first thought. I didn't want to detail the three days of Ryoko and Ayeka's fights and Tenchi's joke because then it would just seem like character bashing to no real end, even given the story. I'm sure that you can come up with some idea of what it would have been like.  
  
My web site is finally up too, so please feel free to come and take a look: www.geocities.com/nutzoides  
  
***  
  
Translation Notes:  
  
-chan: Diminutive honorific. The closest English speakers have is 'little' or 'li'l'. Used for children, very close friends or lovers. A term of affection with the connotation of youth.  
  
-dono: Translated as 'Lord/Lady' or as 'Sir' in the way a knight would be addressed. Can imply martial prestige.  
  
-ken: The name attached is the name of a sword. The Tenchi-ken is the 'Sword Tenchi'. (It can also mean 'technique' or 'fist' when used as a suffix for the name of a move. I won't be using it that way in this fanfic though.)  
  
-sama: Formal honorific. Translated as 'Lord' or 'Lady'. Very respectful.  
  
-san: Translated as Mr. or Miss. And so on. Can be used for both family and personal names.  
  
-sensei: Translates as teacher or professor and can be used as a word on its own.  
  
Bokken: A wooden training sword.  
  
Chibi: Translates as small with the implication of cuteness. I'm using it when describing a super deformed image of someone. Super deformed is when the character is very small or squashed, chubby and very cute, as seen used in some anime and manga for comic effect.  
  
Imouto: Meaning 'younger sister' and often used with the '-chan' suffix although other can be used.  
  
Kanji: The Japanese naming characters.  
  
Karaoke: Popular pastime. Music is played along with the lyrics and you sing the song yourself.  
  
Kimono: A traditional Japanese outfit tied round the middle with a wide ribbon or similar length of material called an 'Obi'.  
  
Manga: Japanese comics. There are types for pretty much everybody, not just the children and collectors.  
  
Miso: Bean paste often used in soup. Comes in several varieties.  
  
Mori Tatakai: Literally translates as 'Forest Battle'. I used the Japanese since I designed it as a Jurai thing, not Earth related.  
  
Onee-sama / Onee-chan: Meaning 'elder sister'. The '- sama' variation is respected and the '-chan' one is more affectionate.  
  
Onii-sama / Onii-chan: As above but meaning brother. Sasami uses the '-chan' variations of both for members the family because she feels affection for them, as family and friends.  
  
(They can also be used without the 'O' at the beginning when placed after someone's name, signifying that that person is their 'brother' or 'sister'. Sasami uses this for the family she is not immediately related to such as Tenchi and those she considers family like Ryoko.)  
  
Onsen: A public or communal bath. Often associated with a hot spring.  
  
Ramen: A noodle broth.  
  
Sake: Japanese rice wine.  
  
Sashimi: Small portions of raw fish.  
  
Sushi: Small portions of raw fish often with vegetables wrapped in rice and a seaweed sheet.  
  
Tanuki: Smallish Japanese mammal similar to a raccoon (I think). Tanuki statues are often placed outside shops for good luck.  
  
Tempura: A form of deep fried food.  
  
Teriyaki/Sukiyaki: Japanese sauces/marinades.  
  
Wasabi: A hot Japanese horseradish often served on or accompanying sushi.  
  
***  
  
Completed: March 25th - 2003  
  
Posted: April 24th - 2003 


	7. Broken

Before we start let's get one thing straight: Tenchi Muyo and everything that officially comprises it is owned by AIC and Pioneer. This is unofficial and the story and original characters I create belong to me, so I'd be grateful if you ask before using them in something else. Please, PLEASE don't sue me. I'm only doing this to prove my genius to the world! Mwahahahaha! ^_^

***

Faith, Hope & Carrot Soup

- A Tenchi Muyo Fan-Fiction By Nutzoide –

Chapter 6: Broken

Monday morning saw Ryoko fuming on her beam, systematically going through each of the curses in every language she knew. In her eyes it was Ayeka who had managed to get Tenchi to yell at her and she could barely look him in the eyes any more, let alone give him the huge glomp that she so desperately wanted to. It came down to the fact that she was now terrified of herself. She knew she couldn't do anything to Ayeka. Giving the prissy princess what she deserved meant risking killing her, just like she almost had. Ryoko had never really been one to plan for the long term, and now that was coming back to haunt her. If she went with what she wanted to do now she would lose it all.

All she wanted now was for Tenchi to hold her and tell her it was all right, and she would cry out all the fear and doubt that was slowly eating away at her. But if she touched him now he would hate her for it, and if she tried to talk to him she would just make it worse, like she always did. She had also quickly re-discovered that crying alone wasn't like crying with someone else. It just made her more miserable.

Right now she would have liked nothing better than to take a long hot bath in the onsen as it floated lazily over the grounds, but the princess had beaten her to it, and the last person she wanted to see right now was her.

***

Ayeka on the other hand had more on her mind than just her rival. Tenchi's outburst the previous day had shaken her badly and she had once again withdrawn from the family to preserve what personal integrity she had left. 

She took another sip of her sake. Tenchi-sama shouted at us both. That fact was burned into her mind. She had known for some time that it was a distinct possibility that she would lose out to one of the other girls when it came to Tenchi. Ryoko was wild and passionate about life. She was unhindered by the need to keep a good image, and could pursue her desires as she pleased. Mihoshi had her bright cheerful outlook on life. Kiyone had drive, ambition and talent. It was becoming painfully obvious that Sasami was discovering the opposite sex and that Tenchi seemed to be the outlet for her first crush. Washu, despite all her oddities, was perhaps the most intelligent person in known space. Even Ryo-ohki had had an infatuation with him, and she could show him the galaxy on his terms.

She was Ayeka Jurai of the house of Jurai, first princess of the Juraian empire, the largest coalition of systems in known space. She had nothing. She would lead a life of heavy workloads and obligations. The only thing she could bring to her partner was the title of king. She knew now, in her heart of hearts, that Tenchi would not want to rule. He was a simple farmer now, content with his life. Why would he give that up for a job as hideous as king? He would have unequalled power, but Tenchi never desired power. And even if he did take it, perhaps out of care for the people, in all likelihood the population would be against him. For many of the citizenry it would not matter that he was only one eighth Juraian, but for those that counted it would. More than fifty percent of the noble houses would be ready to tear him to shreds the minute he took office.

She could bear him children, but they would be raised as much by hired nannies as by Tenchi and herself. And, as she now knew, he would not live to see them through their adolescence without the help of the Juraian trees' 'water of life', and even then not live to see them to their third awakening as she would.

She was pulled from her thoughts by the pain in her hand and she looked down to see the blood trickling from her fingers as she grasped the sake dish. She stood up in the water and let out an angry cry as she threw the dish with all her might, smashing it on the dome that protected the onsen from the murky weather outside. She stood there panting, tears trickling down her face thanks to her desolate thoughts.

She looked down at herself as she stood there. I do not even have a body to give him. She very rarely bathed nude thanks to everyone else in the house often sharing in baths, but had known she would be alone this morning, so had allowed her self to forgo her modesty and feel the water on her bare skin without the towel. But for as much time as she spent on her appearance she hated her body. Whenever she looked in the mirror she saw a face that could not compete with those around her. Not one of her suitors in all her years had ever wanted her for anything but the title she offered.

Now unhindered by the ornate clothing she had worn all her life she could once again confirm that the rest of her was no better off. Her bust was small by comparison to those she knew, her hips were less developed, her figure was little more than average. Her skin was the one thing she prided herself on, flawless and clear. At least that's what she used to tell herself. Now all she saw were the two small scars, the now unnoticeable line across her throat and the small faded shrapnel marking along her left ankle. She would conceal that easily enough with makeup when not in the water as part of her routine, but she had not bothered for days. She just didn't see the point any more.

She folded her arms across her chest, cupping her breasts and pulling them to her as she slowly sank back into the soothing warm water. Why did I have to be the runt of this family Mother?

Ever since her first awakening she had become acutely aware of her lack of physical development. Now, every time she saw Tsunami it was confirmed for her. Sasami would one day grow to be the beautiful woman Tsunami now was. That meant Ayeka was the smallest. Every member of her family was taller than she was and every woman had a generous breast. Her mother was well known for her stunning figure under the formal kimonos she wore thanks to her years of participation in Mori Tatakai, and it looked like Sasami would be no less well off. Ayeka had participated in the sport since she was old enough to do so in the professional tournaments, and managed gain the title of champion no less than three times, but other than develop her muscle tone it did her no good. She could not emulate her mother's body like that.

She pulled her legs up, pressing her hands closer to her chest, and curled up in the water, uncertain of where her life was now leading her.

***

The harsh ring of the phone broke though Ryoko's little ream of obscenities, and she was sorely tempted to blast it with an energy bolt just for the release it would bring.

Yeah, you just ring there. See if I care. No stupid piece of primitive junk like you is gonna get me down just because you want me to. You can sit there and suffer just like everyone else.

"Ryoko, could you get that? I'm a bit busy right now!"

Sasami on the other hand was a different matter. It was impossible to deny the young princess anything.

"*Uugh*, alright, I'll get it." She flew down from her beam and answered it. "Yeah, this is the Masaki's. What do you want?"

"I'm looking for Shoji Mugai, is he there?" The voice on the other end sounded rather tired and fed up.

"Who wants to know?"

"The guy who pays him, that's who. I've been trying to get him for the last three days! One of the guys down at his local bar said he might be there."

"No," Ryoko said, "he's not here. He came by over the weekend though."

"Shit! You don't know where he is now do you?"

"No, I guess he's at home."

The man sighed. "Tried there already this morning. If you do see him tell him to get his ass in gear and pick up his damn paycheque already. It's been sitting here for days, and if he wants the next job he called about he'd better be in tomorrow or he needn't bother at all. Anyway, thanks for your time Miss." He hung up and Ryoko did the same.

"Huh, maybe he's at the Miho-Kiyo place." She dialled the number for the detectives' apartment before remembering that they would be at work by now. To her surprise Kiyone actually answered.

"This is Kiyone Makibi." She sounded tired and fed up too.

"Ummm... Kiyone? Aren't you supposed to be at work now? I only just remembered it's Monday."

"So we got fired. Again. So what Ryoko? Are you actually going to tell me something or did you just call to piss me off?"

"Well screw you too Kiyone-*san*!" Ryoko replied indignantly, the prosthetic tail on her clothing thrashing about. "Just thought you'd want to know that that asshole you went out with has gone missing. Looks like he got himself another holiday."

On the other end of the line Kiyone frowned. "What? Shoji? What do you mean missing on holiday?"

Ryoko growled slightly into the phone, fed up at having to repeat herself. "Shoji's boss can't find him and he hasn't got his pay yet. The guy said if he doesn't show up tomorrow he gets another holiday."

Kiyone's eyes widened causing Mihoshi to start listening in from across the kitchen. "He said he was going to get his money last night when he went home. He's nearly broke! If he gets fired he'll be in real trouble!"

"What?" Mihoshi asked from the kitchen doorway, starting to worry. "Did Shoji get fired too?"

"Shut up a sec Mihoshi... What was that Ryoko?"

Ryoko growled again. "I *said* 'Who said anything about him being fired'!"

"Ryoko," Kiyone sighed, "they told him not to come in to work right?"

"Right."

"There are no holidays right now. That means he's lost the job he was going for."

"Oh." Ryoko deflated a bit, suddenly feeling a little sorry for the jerk. "Well, if he goes in tomorrow he's okay. You guys have got his number right?"

"If his boss can't reach him we won't be able to either. Mihoshi and I will head over to his place and check on him."

Ryoko paused. As much as she disliked the man she really needed something to do rather than wallowing in self-pity. "Uhhhh, you mind if I tag along? I gotta get out of the house for a bit. It's kind of... well... you know."

Kiyone thought for a moment before shrugging. "Sure, come on over."

"Thanks Kiyone." Ryoko hung up the phone, phased into some more Earth style clothes and teleported out.

At the apartment Mihoshi looked up again as her partner hung up. "So, what's going on?"

"We're going to look for Shoji."

Mihoshi smiled. "Great! Maybe we can all go job hunting together!"

***

"Ayeka, stop it, it's nearly lunch time."

Ayeka said nothing as she sat on the sofa, slowly nibbling at her third bag of crisps that hour. It really is amazing how moreish these are when salted, she thought to herself.

Sasami put her hands on her hips and pouted mightily. "You'll make yourself tubby you know!"

Ayeka sighed. "Leave me be Imouto-chan."

Sasami deepened her pout. "What will Tenchi think if you blow up like a balloon, huh? You won't be a princess, you'll be a potato in a kimono!"

"I said *leave* *me* *be* Sasami. Please."

Sasami dropped all pretence of humour now. "Onee-sama, please, it's not healthy to eat like this," she said, gesturing at the discarded food packets. "And you're drinking to much too. I can smell it! It's really, really bad for you and you're going to make yourself really sick if you don't stop it. What would Mummy say if she saw you doing this?"

Ayeka bowed her head, the crisp packet held lightly in her lap. "She's not here Imouto-chan."

"What about Tenchi? What will he think?"

"It doesn't matter."

"TENCHI *ALWAYS* MATTERS!" Sasami screamed at her sister, "WE'D ALL BE DEAD ALREADY IF HE DIDN'T SAVE US!"

Ayeka barely even flinched. "Tenchi-sama is only one man Sasami. He has saved us and we have saved him. We only survived because we are together, just as none of us would have been imperilled in the fist place if we had never met."

Sasami's looked at her sister through the tears forming in her pink eyes. "I don't understand," she said, sounding almost hopeless in her confusion.

Ayeka looked back at her sister warmly. "You are very lucky my dear Imouto-chan. You have a long time to learn."

"Why can't I learn now?" Sasami asked quietly.

"You don't need to. I think you had better get back to the lunch now, before you manage to make a meal that isn't divine."

"It's just salad and cold meat. That doesn't burn."

Ayeka smiled. "I'm sure your presence will help none the less." She rose carefully from the sofa and gently wrapped Sasami's hands around the half-eaten snack. "Here, I don't want them any more."

Sasami sniffled slightly as she smiled. "Th-thank you Onee-sama." It wasn't the food she was thanking her for though.

Ayeka watched as her sister headed back in to the kitchen, then slowly set about clearing up the waste wrappers she had managed to accumulate. "Oh Tsunami, why do I keep doing this to her?" she whispered to herself.

"The level of alcohol in your blood may have had something to do with it this time."

Ayeka whipped round, nearly losing her balance, to see Tsunami standing quietly behind her. "Oh my. You... really do answer prayers then."

Tsunami laid a guiding hand on Ayeka's shoulder and helped her back to the sofa. "Not in the sense you mean, but yes, I try to answer what prayers I can."

Ayeka looked up to her religion's patron deity with pleading eyes. "What's wrong with me?"

Tsunami didn't answer for a while. "... There is more that one question there Ayeka-sama, and very few of them I can help with. In answer to what you want to know now I can say this, you hurt Sasami because you hurt yourself. The two of you are closer than many and she is very worried for you right now. That means, by association, I am too. Just as she sees more of the intricacies of the multiverse with each passing day, so too I gain more feeling for everything here, my family especially. She sees what I see, I feel what she feels."

Ayeka's eyes widened. "You... You mean you are assimilating now?"

Tsunami shook her head. "No, but the process began the moment we shared our essences in the nursery. From now on I can only guess as to what will happen to the two of us."

"Are... are you afraid?"

"Yes," Tsunami said quietly, "I am. Sasami is too. She can hide it very well, but she is scared of becoming me. Or perhaps I should say becoming someone other than herself."

"She never said anything like that to me," Ayeka said sadly. "Will there be anything left of her once you take control?

"I fear the same as she does. I will not take possession of her, and she will not take possession of me. At least that is not my belief. Neither of us wants to die to become someone new though, if that is what will happen."

The two sat in silence for a while. 

"I must say Ayeka that you do make a very contemplative drunk."

Ayeka leaned over and buried her face in Tsunami's side. "No. I'm a cruel drunkard."

Tsunami leaned down and kissed Ayeka's forehead lightly. "There is a big difference between enjoying alcohol as you do and dipsomania. You would not be the first to try and drink away her problems, and you will certainly not be the last. I merely meant that you spoke very reflectively with Sasami for the amount you have had."

"Oooh, I think Sasami was right though, I do not feel at all well. Thank you for speaking with me Tsunami-sama, but I had better go." Ayeka got unsteadily to her feet and made her way upstairs as fast as she could before her stomach decided to rebel against the rather large quantity of sake she had given it that morning.

Tsunami rose and headed into the kitchen, knowing that both Sasami and herself would like the company, and that Ayeka would prefer to evacuate her stomach in private.

***

Ryoko gave a mental sigh as she followed Mihoshi and Kiyone up the half dozen or so long flights of stairs that apparently led to Shoji's apartment room. Being in public meant trudging up each individual step just like everyone else, and she resented it. Over the second and third staircases she had tried to vary her pace, speed and bounce to keep from passing out in boredom, but after getting a very odd look from Mohishi she decided boredom was better than (apparently) looking like an idiot.

When they finally got to Shoji's door she flopped down on the floor leaning against the guard-rail while Kiyone knocked. After a while she yawned and closed her eyes. 

Kiyone knocked again, wondering if he really wasn't in. "Shoji-san, it's Kiyone. If you're in we really need to talk to you."

Nothing. "Do you think maybe something happened to him?" Mihoshi asked, looking worried. She had been greatly looking forward to seeing him to take their minds of the fact that they were currently jobless. And just to see him again.

Kiyone knocked again, again with no answer. The next door along however did open, and a young woman stepped out.

"Ummm... Excuse me," said Kiyone, "do you know where Mugai-san might be? We really need to talk to him."

The woman looked over at them. "No, I don't. I think he left for a while, or at least that's what Kiyamori-san said yesterday evening. Perhaps he's with that new girlfriend he is supposed to have been seeing."

Both Kiyone and Mihoshi blushed a little at that. "No," said Kiyone, "I don't think that's it, but thanks anyway."

"My pleasure," the woman said before making her way past them, casting a cautious glance at Ryoko as she went by.

Mihoshi's face fell slowly as they stood there wondering what to do. "Why would Shoji leave without saying goodbye?"

"I don't know," replied Kiyone, "I was going to suggest we check that bar he goes to, but if he's already gone there isn't much point."

Ryoko cracked her eyes open. "His boss said he checked there already too. No show. That's how he knew he'd been up with us at the house."

Kiyone sighed. "Okay... So, what do we do now? We don't have his mobile number. He said he only used that for work."

"Well," Ryoko said, getting to her feet, "lets take a look inside."

Mihoshi's eyebrows rose. "It's locked Ryoko. Why do you think Kiyone did all that banging?"

Ryoko gave her a deadpan stare in return before grabbing both her and Kiyone. "Come on, maybe we can find a clue or something." She cast a furtive look around before phasing through the door, taking Mihoshi and Kiyone with her. 

On the other side of the door she let them go, Mihoshi looking quite startled and Kiyone a little ruffled around the edges.

"Oh yeah, I forgot you could do that Ryoko," Mihoshi said as she shook her hair back. "That's really useful you know."

"Gee, I guess you're right," Ryoko said sarcastically as she strolled into the main room and started to rummage around. "Let's see if we can hunt up anything."

The other two took the kitchen and work-room while Ryoko looked through the desk, cupboards and wardrobe. Mihoshi, while finding a great deal of cutlery, instant ramen and some assorted snack food, found nothing of any telling value other than a great deal of reminder notes stuck to the fridge.

"Hmmm, let's see now; 'Pick up pay', well we know he didn't do that. 'Post manga'. I wonder what that means. Maybe he bought some for a friend or something. Or maybe he draws as well as writes. 'Visit Shinyoko'. I wonder what Shinyoko is."

She headed back out to the main room. "Hey, Kiyone! It sayshe may have gone to visit Shinyoko. Do you know what that is?"

"It sounds more like a who than a what to me Mihoshi. I don't know anywhere called Shinyoko." She walked out of the study looking through a large collection of papers. "I don't think I'm going to have much luck here unless I start going though his computer, and I don't really think we need to do that. What we're doing is illegal enough as it is. I sure hope no-one ever find out about this."

"Guys, I think we struck pay dirt." Ryoko's quiet voice didn't sound too enthusiastic though. Surprisingly she handed the note to Mihoshi first. "It was on the shoe cabinet by the door."

Mihoshi took the note. " 'The shrine gang; I had a great time with all of you, but I'm evidently making a bad situation worse. I know this is the coward's way of saying goodbye but you don't need any more trouble right now. You'll get this if you want to, since after seeing some of the things Ryoko-san can do I'm sure you'll have no trouble getting in. I hope I see you around when everything gets back to normal, or as normal as it ever is. Your secret is safe with me, I swear. Shoji.'"

Mihoshi lowered the note and it fell from her fingers as she began to cry in earnest, just like she had the day before. Kiyone took her partner's shoulders and sat her down as Mihoshi sobbed emotionally into her shirt. Ryoko felt uncomfortably helpless as she watched them, seeing something that she would give anything to have. A friend's shoulder to cry on.

After a while the tears slowed and Kiyone eased her partner away. "I thought he liked me," Mihoshi said plaintively. "I really thought he might be the one, you know?" She let out another sob and Ryoko leaned down to pat her gently on the back.

"You want me to make a drink?" Kiyone asked.

Mihoshi nodded. Kiyone got up and headed for the kitchen, motioning for Ryoko to follow.

"He ran, didn't he?" Kiyone said as she found a tin of chocolate powder and spooned some into a spare mug.

Ryoko nodded, "Yeah."

Kiyone shut her eyes as she put the lid back on the tin, twisting far harder than she needed to. "If I ever see that bastard again I'll make him wish he'd never been born!"

Ryoko looked up startled. "Huh?"

Kiyone filled the kettle. "You saw what happened. He built her hopes up and then just runs away because it gets a little tense. Mihoshi's been through this over and over again, she doesn't need any more of this crap, and she gets her hopes up every single time because she's too damn trusting. At least Shoji had the decency to go before anything actually happened between them. Asshole."

She filled up the mug and took it out to Mihoshi, who was sitting quietly at the table. "Thanks Kiyone."

After a short silence Ryoko looked over at the clock. "Damn, we already missed lunch. You guys want to get something to eat? I saw a decent noodle cart on the way over."

Mihoshi and Kiyone both nodded. "Sure."

***

Tenchi sat back heavily on the sofa, completely and utterly exhausted. His grandfather had driven him hard at sword practice that afternoon. In fact between finishing with the fields, cleaning the shrine and sword practice he had only had time to stop for lunch since nine that morning. He should really have been in the onsen, soaking his sore muscles, but he just couldn't find the energy to get to the door that led there. He let out a pitiful groan as his head flopped back and he closed his eyes.

As if on cue he found himself being shifted forward and a pair of small hands began to work on his shoulders. He sighed as he felt his muscles relax under the surprisingly firm ministrations.

"Thanks Sasami. That really feels great!"

"Miya!"

Tenchi jerked up a bit and turned around. "Ryo-ohki?!?"

From behind him Sasami grinned cutely with Ryo-ohki perched on top of her head in animal form. "Nope, but she's here too. Now turn around or I can't do this properly."

Tenchi would have argued the point or tried to chat but he was too tired right now to do anything other than obey as Sasami went back to working on his shoulders.

After a while his conscience got the better of him. "Hey Sasami-chan, you don't have to do this you know."

Sasami pouted comically from behind him. "What, you don't want me to? Maybe I should let you rub your own shoulders."

Tenchi chuckled. "No, it's really great, but don't you have something else to play with other than my back?"

"No," Sasami said, moving her hands a bit lower, "I got bored. Everyone's gone and I can't read any more of your Dad's manga collection or my eyes will go funny."

"In that case I won't complain." Tenchi closed his eyes again and just enjoyed the luxury.

After a couple of minutes Sasami's hand began to tire. "Okay Tenchi nii-chan, could you lie on your front please."

"Huh?" Tenchi was clueless but still too tired to argue, so he ended up on his frontwith legs hanging off the end. The next thing he knew his shirt was gone and two small padded feet were kneading his back while a second pair supported them.

"Now *that* is Ryo-ohki, right?"

"Yep," Sasami said as she came round into his field of vision. "My hands got tired. I'm going to try some more emotion painting. Maybe that will help everyone feel better." Emotion painting meant finding Tsunami, and finding Tsunami meant being able to try and find out what was wrong with everyone.

"Sure," Tenchi replied, as he lay there. "Thank you very much Sasami-chan."

"You're welcome," she said as she headed off upstairs.

"And you're doing really well too Ryo-ohki," he said to the cabbit on his back.

"Miya!" she replied, glad she had found something she could do to help him. He hadn't wanted her help at the carrot fields since before she had become able to change into humanoid form, but this was a nice alternative, even if it meant more work and less free food!

Tenchi lay there with his face resting on his hands for a good ten minutes while Ryo-ohki worked on his back. While very unusual he also found it very pleasant. From the doorway Ayeka watched the scene with a sense of sad contentment. She quietly walked into the room to see that he could well have been asleep he looked so peaceful.

"Well isn't this a sight of true self-indulgence," she said with amusement in her voice.

Tenchi's eyes opened to see her and he gave a sheepish grin. "Ah, hello Ayeka-san, how are you?"

Ayeka smiled at his awkwardness, but there was more than a little sadness there. "I'm fine Tenchi-sama, but... I would like to speak to you in private."

"Sure." Tenchi shifted himself. "Sorry Ryo-ohki-chan, I guess that's it for now. Thanks."

Ryo-ohki looked at them both and gave a 'miya' before scampering off to find Sasami, or perhaps a stray carrot.

Tenchi sat up on the sofa and Ayeka sat gently beside him. "Tenchi-sama, there is no easy way for me to say this, but I will be leaving shortly."

Tenchi wasn't in the least prepared for such a ground breaking statement. To him it was akin to someone saying that the Earth wasn't round or that gravity falls upwards. In the two and a half years since the girls had entered his life he had become accustomed to them and the strangeness they brought as just a part of his life.

In the end he only had one question. "W-Why? Is something wrong."

Ayeka sighed. "I believe there is Tenchi-sama, but that is not the reason. I am not needed here. I never have been, and I have only just realised that fact." A solitary tear fell down her cheek. "I stayed because of you, and my sister. My sister is old enough to start living her own life now. And you have certainly never needed me."

Tenchi moved to say something but Ayeka cut him off with a finger to his lips. "Please Tenchi-sama, let me finish." Another tear joined the first, and before long she felt them flowing freely across her face. "I know you don't want to choose which one of us will be your partner Tenchi-sama, and that that is what we have been wanting of you. When... when you reprimanded Ryoko and myself for our terrible behaviour I could see there was no favouritism there, something I am now grateful for." 

She let out a small sob and Tenchi moved to comfort her, only to be blocked by her arms. He was at a loss as to what to say or do as she continued.

"I want you to know that I love you Tenchi," she sobbed. "I love you with all my heart, and I believe that you love me, as family if not as a wife. But I cannot give you a life the way the others can, and I am only in the way of you finding what you want. I don't think I could watch you grow close to one of the others without jealousy tearing me apart. You have seen how Ryoko-san and myself behave and we are just vying for your affections."

She paused to wipe her eyes, only to have fresh tears take their place. She had never felt like she had lost so much in her life. Not even when Yosho had left.

Tenchi finally found his voice. "You really want to go back home?"

Ayeka gave a harsh laugh through her sobs. "I have even less for me there than I do here. I hate it all." She looked desperately into his eyes. "You aren't going to make me stay are you Tench-sama? I... I don't think I could bear it."

Tenchi shook his head slowly. "No. I... I want you to stay. But if you want to leave then I won't get in the way. I think I understand what you're saying. I really sorry, but... I can't..."

Ayeka smiled and placed her finger to his lips again, resting her other hand on his bare chest. "Please Tenchi. I'm not doing this to make you choose me. But please, let me have this one thing before I go."

She leaned in and kissed him, her lips brushing gently against his, but filled with all the passion she had felt since the day she knew she had fallen for him. Tenchi felt more emotion in that kiss than he ever could have imagined. 

Ayeka pulled back and gave him a radiantly sad smile. "Thank you, my Tenchi-sama." She rose and headed for the glass doors, turning back one before heading out onto the grass. "Please, take care of Sasami for me."

Tenchi watched as she left, and felt a part of himself leave with her. She would be back to collect her ship and her belongings, and then she would be gone from his life.

"Ayeka."

***

Several hours later Ryoko was back at the Masaki's house. Her search with Mihoshi and Kiyone had been abandoned after they had found the note, and she had spent the following hours wandering the streets aimlessly, leaving the other two to make their way home. Mihoshi's depression had only grown over the meal they had had, the tears giving way to an uncharacteristically quiet young woman. Ryoko had only just been aware that anything had grown between Mihoshi and the Earthling, but evidently she had missed quite a bit, or else Mihoshi had pinned a great deal of hope on the man. Her wanderings had led to one very unpleasant thought, was she doing the same with Tenchi?

She knew that she would be the one to end up with him, or at least one of them. As long as she could be with him she didn't care who else was there with her.

Her mood wasn't helped by the headache she now had though. It had been there for hours, and was getting more and more unpleasant as time wore on. She figured it was the crappy sake she had had with her lunch. Good thing Mihoshi and Kiyone didn't have any.

Then, as she walked along the quiet wooded path to the shrine, she saw *her* up ahead, heading the same way. Ryoko began to seethe. Seeing Ayeka was the last thing she wanted right now, but she was damned if she was going to be the one to give way this time. 

"Well, well, Princess. Decided to stop hiding under that futon, eh?"

Ayeka turned slowly to meet her. "Hello Ryoko-san."

Ryoko's eyebrows raised a little. "Oh, it's the polite one. Could you tell me where you left the bitchy you, because a stick in the mud's no fun at all."

Ayeka's eyes dropped and she turned to leave. "Go away Ryoko."

"Oooooh, can you do other ones too?" Ryoko sighed theatrically. "Juraian education really needs improving when the princess can't give a decent comeback." 

"I SAID GO AWAY YOU MONSTER!" Ayeka screamed.

Ryoko smirked and put on a viciously fake adoring voice. "If only your Daddy could see you now, such a wonderful picture of royalty! You'll make a *fine* ruler Ayeka-sama." Ryoko felt quite pleased with herself for that one. If all else fails, change the angle of attack. The satisfaction lasted all of two seconds, until she saw Ayeka fall to her knees, sobbing incoherently.

"That's right Ryoko, gloat," Ayeka said through her tears, almost too quietly to be heard. "You've already won."

Ryoko stared down, incredulous. "Wha..?"

Ayeka looked back up with fire in her teary eyes. "You win already! DO YOU HEAR ME? YOU WIN! JUST LIKE YOU *ALWAYS* DO!" Her anger spent, she folded back upon herself, crying more heavily than Ryoko had ever seen. "Why can't you leave me alone?"

"What do you mean? I... won?" The scene was so strange Ryoko couldn't fathom what Ayeka had said. She wasn't playing for anything, was she? Not unless...

Ayeka slowly rose to her feet, still crying, and looked Ryoko in the eyes. "You win Ryoko. I'm leaving. I can't compete like this any more." She gave a small delicate sniffle. "I won't be in the way. If you can get Tenchi-sama, he is yours. Please be good to him, and be gentle with Sasami, *sniff* she doesn't deserve to be hurt. Goodbye Ryoko-san, I doubt you will see me again."

And with that Ayeka turned and walked slowly off into the woods, leaving Ryoko standing blankly on the pathway.

I've done it. Tenchi is mine! I win! Ryoko was ready to take flight and proclaim her victory to the world. Then she remembered what that meant. Her smile faded and she looked out into the trees where the princess had disappeared. Her best rival was leaving. Her best friend was leaving. Permanently. But we haven't been friends for weeks, and I was trying to piss her off again. Wh-what's wrong with me? I've finally managed to get rid of her, but... 

Ryoko felt the unpleasant nagging in the back of her skull again. She mentally pressed it down, quietening it a little, and gazed off into the woods. She now had what she most wanted, and she would never see Ayeka again. "It's not fair."

***

The clang of metal against metal rang out as the former Lord Taishi observed the person he had created. The situation down on the planet below had become tedious, a constant flow of high emotion he would rather not sit through, as much through boredom as pity. He knew exactly how it would end now that they had had to alter their plans, and whatever he had told Syren about necessity he was not intending to watch the inevitably unpleasant outcome.

His mind was now consumed with the spectacle in front of him. Syren had taken it upon herself to start a gruelling regime of combat training that would have left any normal soldier dead within minutes. She leaped across the arena, back-flipping like a world class acrobat and neatly beheading the latest in the long series of training droids that she had taken for the task. Its metal carcass fell heavily to the floor and she moved straight on into a flawless textbook kata as the next automaton moved out. She never even glanced at the remains of her opponent as they were carted off by yet more insectoidmachines.

He stared in fascination. She was finally complete, the last set of behavioural code now in place. A true synthetic mechanical human, easily equal both mentally and physically to any other human or humanoid in the galaxy. The culmination of his life's work. She had her own place in the universe and she was unsurpassed in it, while still being a fully functional and fully sentient being. That was the test. Many others had created servants or labourers or gimmick 'humans', but none had come close to the true goal before resorting to 'organic technology'. Computerised intelligence was one thing, and any fool could grow a person if they could get around the legal limitations, but Syren was truly the first of her kind. 

He stepped forward as the last of the droids was destroyed, the hydraulic fluids igniting and spraying the arena floor in liquid flame. "Syren, that is enough. You have more than earned your rest."

Syren looked up and over to him as the flames were put out by the automated safety system. She raised her arm to clean the fiery residue from it, then walked slowly and carefully over to him, emerging from the steam like a deathly shadow.

"I wish to continue."

"Why? You have already surpassed the specified level of expertise in this style, and every other you have chosen to study."

"I am still not assured success."

His eyebrows raised. "Success in you mission or success in combat?"

Syren seemed to take longer in answering than usual. In fact she thought very hard about it. The mission was simple enough, but now that the question had been brought up she was unsure. Does he believe I require more skill in an additional area? He often asks questions of me to imply a lacking in my thought. Why does he not tell me what I am required to know?

"Success in combat. I have covered every aspect of the mission and there is no complication. I am incompetent to serve in an offensive position. If I were to engage a Kutsurui unit I would stand only a 14% chance of incapacitating it before being rendered incapable of combat."

Her creator laughed. "Syren, why do you want to take out a front line weapons platform? I certainly wouldn't want you to, and no one else in their right minds would either!"

Syren bowed her head in shame, the amusement he showed at her apparent stupidity as harsh as any reprimand to her. "I was merely speaking hypothetically Taishi-sama, were the situation to arise. I am sorry. I will cease my exercises immediately."

Taishi softened a little at her display of self-admonishment. He always thought her elegant beauty became very cute when she did that, and it was always slightly reluctantly that he would set her right. "Syren, I am very proud of your commitment, but there will always be someone or something that you cannot overcome. Train as you wish, but don't let it consume you. You have free run of the ship, and plenty of time for other things. Make use of it."

He gave her a reassuring smile and headed out to check on the progress of his project. He turned back briefly to her. "After the operation we will have 28 hours before we will be able to leave. I would like you to be combat ready during that time, just in case." He didn't really believe that that would be necessary, but it would help reassure her. His latest ace in the hole would be more than enough for that situation, and the chances of needing it to begin with were practically zero. He smiled as he left.

Syren watched him go. 'Make use of it'. What does he suggest I do? She turned to see the maintenance robots as they finished cleaning the room. She walked over to one and helped load some of the 'dead' machine parts onto the scavenger frame.

When the room was clear she looked around slowly, then headed to leave. There was nothing more for her to do there.

***

Several hours later Syren lay on the heavy polymer sheet that made up her bed. Her downtime requirement was low, but she found that lying there eased the unpleasant feelings of pain that she had, the malleable material cushioning her body gently. Taishi-sama is correct. I should limit the level of stress I exert on myself during training.

She registered the pain just like anyone else would, but was many times more durable. The scratches, dents and burns that she had suffered would heal themselves in time. The molecular memory of the metals that made up her body would restore all but the most serious of damage. Until then however she would have to suffer the pain of broken skin and burned flesh. If there was no pain there was no incentive to avoid taking hits, a devastating problem when damage quickly adds up. 

After a while she sat up and looked around the room. Her room. It looked just like any other room on the ship, a typical Juraian cruiser, festooned with upgrades and devices the owner had created to enhance it. Now she had the facility to understand it she realised that it wasn't like her master's room. There was nothing that set it apart as hers besides the bed and the large upload unit that hung from one wall.

There was also nothing she had that could alter that fact. Other people collect items to elaborate their homes. Over her years of life, and various stages of sentience, she had never before felt the need to collect anything. This was the one space that was hers, and hers alone, and she wanted to feel comfortable there, the way her master did in his quarters. I cannot obtain anything. I can create it.

She accessed the ship's task allocation systems and sent for one of the droids to fetch a sheet of cold forged ioton that she knew was lying spare in the main workshop. Once the automaton had delivered the metal she stood looking at it, then activated her energy blade and began to work, cutting away minute layers of the sheet's surface with expert precision.

When she was done she stepped back and looked at it. She conceded that it was not an accurate rendering thanks to the high level of artistic interpretation she had set herself, but accurate is a *very* specific word for a machine. Her creator stood there in his full academic robes, among the machinery that he had spent his whole life with, now engraved into the metal. She took the sheet and placed it against the wall, the metal adhering thanks to its own bizarre structure.

She felt the effect almost instantly, the greater sense of peace and calmness that she felt around him, alongside the pleasing satisfaction of creation. She wondered if this was the feeling that her subject felt when he completed one of his own mechanical works of art.

She stood standing there for a while, then sent for another sheet, wondering what the next of her decorations should be.

*** 

Inside the subspace laboratory that masqueraded as the Masaki's storage closet Washu sat huddled in her chair by one of the largest tanks the aquarium held. She had always found this place relaxing to work in. She wasn't working now though.

For the first time in her life she understood why she was the only one who was ever comfortable in her lab. Outside the fantastic landscapes it held it felt so cold. A never-ending ocean of blue and black. A place of wonder, invention and scientific exploration, now rendered empty and menacing to its owner in the light of what had occurred there.

Washu curled her arms tighter around her knees, dried tears staining her cheeks, her eyes still red from the crying that had caused them. "I don't want to be alone."

But she didn't want to be with anyone else either. She couldn't face them. Not yet. 

Somewhere else in the lab, among all the computers, monitoring devices and experimentation equipment, a little light flashed. Nobody was there to see it though. 

***

The living room clock struck 10pm as Nobuyuki arrived back home from work. His latest project was massive and was taking up far, far too much of his time. He shucked off his shoes by the door and exhaustedly hung up his coat. As he headed for the stairs he glanced into the living room to see his son and granddaughter still up, sitting in a room that could have been called romantically lit if the mood had not been so sombre. 

He quietly headed upstairs to dump his briefcase and jacket in his study, then came back down and watched the two. He perked up a little at the sound of Mayuka's giggle.

Tenchi did too. He was physically and emotionally drained, but there was no way in hell he could go to bed. Over the last few days he had been sleeping to recuperate from his peacekeeping efforts, but that meant he couldn't sleep a wink now. He quietly thanked whatever god it was that seemed to be looking down on them that Ryoko had been so subdued today. True, it could be as much a cause for worry as thanks, but it left him time with Mayuka that he really needed right now, and Mayuka seemed all too happy to oblige. It seemed she wasn't nearly ready for bed either.

He idly wondered as he played with her when Ryoko would be down off the roof, the place she always went for some time alone to think, and be back on her beam for the night. He was thinking it might be nice to bring her down to sit with them a while when he heard someone come to join him and his father took a seat on the sofa.

"Hello son, how are things?"

Tenchi looked over to him and Mayuka followed his glance. "Quiet. Did work go okay?

Nobuyuki chuckled a little, "Not too bad, but they wanted a redesign of the roof, so it's taking longer than we thought. I'm sorry I haven't been around to help out, but at least things are going well here for you."

Tenchi sighed. "That's not exactly right dad."

"Huh?" 

"Shoji decided he wasn't helping whatever situation we had, so he's gone. Ryoko said Mihoshi's really upset about that. Ryoko's been up on the roof since dinner, and we haven't seen anything of Washu yet either. She's sealed herself in her lab. And Ayeka's leaving."

Nobuyuki's eyebrows shot up in shock. It looked like he'd missed some really important things here. "Ayeka-san is leaving? Why? When will she be back?"

Tenchi looked down at his lap, and at Mayuka, who looked curiously back at him before crawling backwards off his lap, sensing that the fun was over for now. She curled up on her front by one of the cushions and started playing with the corner of it. Tenchi smiled a little before turning back.

"I don't know when she'll be back. Come to think of it I don't know *if* she'll be back. As to why... well, I guess that's my fault."

He sighed and continued as his father's look turned curious. "She decided that she wasn't going to be the one who 'gets' me, something to do with being royalty and not having a life to give me or something, and she said she doesn't want to be here to see me fall for someone else. She told me she loves me."

Nobuyuki smiled. "I was wondering when one of them would admit to it, although I thought it'd be Ryoko first. I can understand what she means though, about not wanting to stay. You know how you can changeher mind, don't you?"

Tenchi looked sharply at his father. "No!" His head dropped back to his lap. "No. She told me that wasn't why she's doing it. I... I don't want her to go, but I can't choose her, and I don't want to stop her either. I don't want to hurt her like that."

Nobuyuki smiled and shook his head. "This is where your good intentions fall down Tenchi. You can't stop from hurting her now, whatever you do. You've backed yourself into a corner. The longer you wait to choose one of them, the worse it will get when you finally do."

Tenchi looked back up to his father. The young man looked very lost. "Dad... I can't. It's not just that I don't want to hurt any of them. Well, I don't, so that is true, but it's more than that." He sighed again. "I'm not ready to get into stuff like that dad. I... I don't have much experience with girls besides this lot, I mean you know that. You were always going on about how I should have a girlfriend by now, and I know plenty of theguys back at school do, but I... I don't know, I'm not ready for that. I always kind of assumed I'd fall in love like you and Mum did, you know, because you're doing the same sort of thing in school or work and had the same interests and stuff, not just because they were cute."

Nobuyuki looked thoughtful for a moment. "You know Tenchi, that's not a bad idea. Very mature too. The trouble is life isn't always that simple, particularly not in your case. I wasn't the only suitor your mother had either. She was very pretty and quite playful in school, despite her serious outlook on life. I was very lucky I was the one that she wanted, because I honestly thought I had no chance."

He took on a more serious note. "I know I am not the kind of person you want to be hearing this from Tenchi, but you need to choose now or set them straight. While I would be very happy to see you marry any one of them it's not right to string them along, particularly if you don't know if you'll marry any of them."

Tenchi was about to reply to that when he stopped. "That's what I've been doing, isn't it? God, I'm such a jerk. I'll tell them tomorrow. I don't think anything's going to get better 'round here 'till I do something about it. I just hope they don't ignore me if I say I don't know."

Nobuyuki got up. "Just remember that they won't wait forever Tenchi. I'm going to get something to eat before I head for bed. Would you like to join me?"

"No," Tenchi replied, "but Sasami left something in the fridge for you. I'm going to wait up 'till Ayeka gets back."

"Okay, sleep well when you get there," Nobuyuki said, heading for the kitchen.

"You too Dad." Tenchi looked over to see Mayuka sleeping against the sofa cushion. "And you too Mayuka-chan." He picked her up and lay her in her cot before sitting back down to wait for the princess.

From the rafters above him Ryoko looked down. "I'll wait Tenchi," she said quietly to herself. "I'll wait forever."

***

To Be Continued...

---------------

Please send any comments and criticisms to:

nutzoide@hotmail.com

Or leave them on the archive where you found this story.

If it will help me improve, I want to hear it.

Also, feel free to visit my website at:

www 'dot' geocities 'dot' com/nutzoides

Author's Notes: 

It's amazing how long I spend thinking about these big scenes beforehand in front of the keyboard, but in the end they practically write themselves. I find I can't really plan the emotional or romantic ones, but they (usually) flow out when I get there. Ayeka's goodbye to Tenchi was one of the most enjoyable scenes to write so far. 

Also, Washu's short scene was originally intended as the closing one, leaving the chapter on a slightly darker and more questioning note, but in the end I couldn't get it to feel the way I had wanted. This way round felt lighter and more hopeful, and I think it actually works better.

***

Translation Notes: 

-chan: Diminutive honorific. The closest English speakers have is 'little' or 'li'l'. Used for children, very close friends or lovers. A term of affection with the connotation of youth.

-dono: Translated as 'Lord/Lady' or as 'Sir' in the way a knight would be addressed. Can imply martial prestige.

-ken: The name attached is the name of a sword. The Tenchi-ken is the 'Sword Tenchi'. (It can also mean 'technique' or 'fist' when used as a suffix for the name of a move. I won't be using it that way in this fanfic though.)

-sama: Formal honorific. Translated as 'Lord' or 'Lady'. Very respectful.

-san: Translated as Mr. or Miss. And so on. Can be used for both family and personal names.

-sensei: Translates as teacher or professor and can be used as a word on its own.

Bokken: A wooden training sword.

Chibi: Translates as small with the implication of cuteness. I'm using it when describing a super deformed image of someone. Super deformed is when the character is very small or squashed, chubby and very cute, as seen used in some anime and manga for comic effect.

Glomp: A very enthusiastic hug, almost physically throwing yourself at the target to be glomped.

Imouto: Meaning 'younger sister' and often used with the '–chan' suffix although other can be used.

Kanji: The Japanese naming characters.

Karaoke: Popular pastime. Music is played along with the lyrics and you sing the song yourself. 

Kata: A set of martial arts moves linked together into a sequence for training purposes. Practised solo.

Kimono: A traditional Japanese outfit tied round the middle with a wide ribbon or similar length of material called an 'Obi'.

Manga: Japanese comics. There are types for pretty much everybody, not just the children and collectors.

Miso: Bean paste often used in soup. Comes in several varieties.

Mori Tatakai: Literally translates as 'Forest Battle'. I used the Japanese since I designed it as a Jurai thing, not Earth related.

Onee-sama / Onee-chan: Meaning 'elder sister'. The '-sama' variation is respected and the '-chan' one is more affectionate.

Onii-sama / Onii-chan: As above but meaning brother. Sasami uses the '-chan' variations of both for members the family because she feels affection for them, as family and friends.

(They can also be used without the 'O' at the beginning when placed after someone's name, signifying that that person is their 'brother' or 'sister'. Sasami uses this for the family she is not immediately related to such as Tenchi and those she considers family like Ryoko.) 

Onsen: A public or communal bath. Often associated with a hot spring.

Ramen: A noodle broth.

Sake: Japanese rice wine.

Sashimi: Small portions of raw fish.

Sushi: Small portions of raw fish often with vegetables wrapped in rice and a seaweed sheet.

Tanuki: Smallish Japanese mammal similar to a raccoon (I think). Tanuki statues are often placed outside shops for good luck.

Tempura: A form of deep fried food.

Teriyaki/Sukiyaki: Japanese sauces/marinades.

Wasabi: A hot Japanese horseradish often served on or accompanying sushi.

***

Completed: April 22nd – 2003

Posted: May 17th - 2003


	8. Twisted Reality

Before we start let's get one thing straight: Tenchi Muyo and everything that officially comprises it is owned by AIC and Pioneer. This is unofficial and the story and original characters I create belong to me, so I'd be grateful if you ask before using them in something else. Please, PLEASE don't sue me. I'm only doing this because there is no way in hell you will ever hire me to work on the real thing!

***

Faith, Hope & Carrot Soup

- A Tenchi Muyo Fan-Fiction By Nutzoide –

Chapter 7: Twisted Reality

The house was remarkably quiet that night. In fact, by midnight even Tenchi was having difficulty trying to stay awake where he sat in the living room, despite the enormous about of extra sleep he had managed to get those past few days. Ayeka had still not returned from wherever it was she had gone and he was going to be sure that he was awake to welcome her back and explain his situation, even if it meant he still had to say goodbye to her the next day. Almost half an hour ago he had gone to get his walkman and some earphones to try and keep him up, noticing on the way that his father had fallen asleep at the kitchen table after having his late supper. The music was a little too abrasive for his tastes, but it had done a good job so far of keeping his eyes open. Now though he had got to the point everybody who uses music like this reaches, it was gradually fading into the background and letting his brain try and shut itself down for the night.

He pulled off the earphones and stopped the tape, then reached behind his head and gave his small tail of hair a hard yank which brought him back to full alert, at least for the time being.

He looked out of the large sliding glass doors again and into the night. He knew it was futile to try and see anyone out there, but it wasn't as though he would miss anything by doing it, and it was certainly better than just staring at the walls and listening to Ryoko and his father sleep. They both snored. We'll, actually, now that he came to think about it, his father snored like he was possessed by the spirit of a vengeful pneumatic drill, and Ryoko would give a loud snort, then somehow turn over on her beam above him and mutter something to herself. Listening to the combination for several hours could be *very* annoying.

As such it came as rather a surprise to hear something new break into the rhythm the pair had going. A very quiet sniffle, accompanied by the padding of small, slipper clad feet.

"Tenchi nii-chan? Are you down here?" Sasami said almost imperceptibly through one of Nobuyuki's monstrous snores.

He turned to see her peeking into the room. There were drying tears staining her cheeks. "Over here Sasami-chan."

She ran over to him as he got up and buried her face in his chest, almost knocking him back onto the sofa as she did. "Tenchi nii-chan!" she cried, her breaths heaving and quivering.

Tenchi stroked her hair gently as he hugged her. "There, it's okay Sasami-chan. Everything's alright." He held her as her sobs subsided, then gently eased her away and leaned down to look her in the eyes. "What's the matter Sasami-chan? Did you have another bad dream?"

Sasami looked down and nodded_,_ fresh tears growing in hereyes. "I was so scared Onii-chan! And Ayeka wasn't there and Ryo-chan and you were gone. I thought you all left me all alone!"

Tenchi stepped in and hugged her again. "It's okay. We're all here. Do you want to tell me about the dream?"

Sasami nodded and Tenchi sat back on the sofa, Sasami sitting close next to him. She looked down at her hands. She always felt so stupid when she did this. The dreams never sounded so scary when she told anyone and sometimes she couldn't even remember half of what it was, but Tenchi or her sister would always make her feel better. 

"Everyone was upset and screaming. Ryoko nee-chan... Ryoko nee-chan was hurt and bleeding. I think she was dying and Washu-chan was crying. And... Onee-sama was fighting this girl and she killed her, but then she turned round and she was glowing and... she had no face!.. And then I w-woke up." Sasami was crying violently by the time she finished. 

Tenchi held her again as she wept, overcome with pity for the girl. When she was done he looked down at her and smiled. "It's okay Sasami. I've had dreams like that too. And remember, we always win when something bad happens!" He sounded a lot more confident that he felt. That had been a frighteningly explicit image, as abstract as any dream, but having a very defined event. One that he did not like in the least. And with dreams like this it was not a good idea to ignore them when they were Sasami's. On the outside though he put on the reassuring face. "Feeling better?"

Sasami sniffled but rewarded him with a nervous smile. "Mmm hmm."

They sat in silence for a while as the time ticked on.

"Would you like a drink? Some hot chocolate?" Tenchi offered.

Sasami shook her head. "No. Thank you." She stifled a yawn. Nightmare or not she was still tired.

Tenchi smiled. "Come on. Let's get you back to bed hmmm? I'm staying up to wait for your sister." He moved to pick her up but a small struggle stopped him.

"No," Sasami said, not wanting to go back to the empty room. "Umm... Can I stay with you?"

"Err... Sure I guess, but it won't be comfortable down here. I'll get your futon." His attempt to move was stopped by Sasami, still in his arms, crawling into his lap and snuggling up against his chest.

She looked up to his startled face, a faint, worried blush colouring her cheeks. "Don't go. Please?"

Tenchi didn't really know what to do. He knew that she liked him, but she had never done anything like this before. "Sasami-chan, you kno..."

He stopped when he felt Sasami curl up tighter in his lap. "I know. I'm sorry. D-do you want me to go?"

Tenchi didn't really know the answer to that. In the end the decision was made for him. He didn't have the heart to force her back upstairs. "Just... Try and sleep okay?"

Sasmai looked up. "Thank you... Onii-chan." She leaned her head back against his chest and closed her eyes. I know I can't but... I just want someone to hold me. Just for a little while.

Five minutes later she was fast asleep in his arms. Tenchi thought about what she had said as he sat there. 'And Ayeka wasn't there and Ryo-chan and you were gone. I thought you all left me all alone!'. Ryo-ohki's in the vegetable storeroom and we aren't going anywhere, but... Didn't Ayeka tell her she was leaving?

He looked down into Sasami's calm face and sighed. "Sleep well Sasami."

***

Ryoko awoke early that morning. She should have known better and stayed up on her beam. Getting up early always seemed to be a bad omen for her. Her head was still killing her, so she teleported herself straight to the bathroom and downed a couple of painkillers before sighing and starting to brush her teeth. Stupid damn cheap sake. Stupid damn metabolism. Stupid damn toothpaste. As if to spite her a large glob of foam from the brush dripped down her front. She looked down, then back to her unkempt reflection in the mirror. "Crap," she said, spitting out the rest of the paste and washing off, then phasing into some new clothes. 

She itched at the back of her head. Surely she should have gotten rid of that headache by now, shouldn't she? She groaned. 

Food. That's what I need. I'll feel better when I've had something to eat. Something smooth.

She floated downstairs, just phasing through the walls as she came to them, and headed into the kitchen. After smirking at Nobuyuki still asleep on the table she touched down and walked over to raid the fridge. It was only... 8am! Sasami won't be making breakfast for at least an hour! Hmmm... What have we got in here then?

Her eyes roamed around the leftovers and various fresh things until she spotted exactly what she was after. "Alright," she said in triumph, "still come of that custard stuff left."

She took the small bowl over to the table, got a spoon and started to dig in. True she couldn't taste very much of anything but she enjoyed it nevertheless. What she lacked from being able to taste she made up for with texture, and this was very much a luxury. Smooth but not slimy, not a hint of graininess and slipped down very nicely indeed. She would never admit to Sasami that she couldn't understand what the others saw in some of her food though. Sasami was still the best cook she knew, whatever palette she had.

She finished the bowl and licked it clean, then bopped Nobuyuki on the head with the spoon, startling him upright from his sleep. "Wha..? What's that? Ryoko-san? Oh, guess I never make it to bed last night! Heh heh."

"Mornin' pops, figured you'd want to get ready for work." Ryoko casually dropped her bowl and spoon in the sink.

Nobuyuki rubbed the sleep from hiseyes. "What time is it?"

"Eightish."

Nobuyuki stuck out his tongue. "*Bleagh*. Thanks Ryoko. I'd better have a bath before I get any stiffer." He got up slowly, rubbing at his back from where he had been sleeping at the table. "They're never going to give me any time off on this project!" he muttered to himself as he headed upstairs for the entrance to the onsen.

Ryoko started to follow him, intending to watch Tenchi sleep for a while, but stopped after seeing his foot poking off the end of the sofa in the living room. He actually slept down here, right under me.

She walked over. Had she been awake to notice she would have curled up besides him for thenight, indulging in her fantasy. She now knew he wasn't ready for her and didn't like her trying to be playful, and she *would* try and calm down and not glomp onto him if that meant she had a chance for him to love her. That didn't mean she wouldn't enjoy being with him though.

Then she saw the girl that had taken up that idea. Tenchi lay on the sofa sleeping peacefully, Sasami curled up next to him in his arms. Ryoko would have thought it was a cute sight if she hadn't been so furious.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING YOU LITTLE HUSSY!?!" she almost screamed, her fists clenched at her sides.

Tenchi and Sasami shot awake. Sasami grabbed onto him and looked around panicked before seeing Ryoko, startling Tenchi as he tried to sit up. "Ryoko, wha..." he started before he was cut off.

"GET THE FUCK OFF MY TENCHI!" Ryoko's mind was whirling. Sasami!?! And all those times she had slept in his room! That whole damned cute act just to...

Sasami stared in abject terror at Ryoko. A woman she called sister who looked ready to murder her. I know it was wrong!, she wanted to say. I shouldn't have! I'm sorry! I couldn't help it! I don't want to take him away from you an Onee-sama! I'M SORRY!

But her mind was too drenched in fear to say anything. Without another thought she turned and fled with tears in her eyes, hating herself for being so weak.

Tenchi watched helplessly as she ran. "Sasami-chan!" He turned back to the ex-pirate. "What on Earth to you think you're doing Ryoko!"

Ryoko looked at him in disbelief. "Wha..? But she... and you..."

"Ryoko she was terrified last night! You think I was just going to throw her out?"

"But you were *SLEEPING* together!"

This time it was Tenchi looked in disbelief. "What the hell do you think... No, I *know* what the hell you think was going on! I can't believe you'd honestly even consider that idea! She's a *kid* Ryoko! You really think I would do anything like that? Huh? When someone needs you, you help them. It's called compassion Ryoko, and Sasami needs it right now! You think any of what's going on is easy on her? Do you?"

Ryoko could only stare at him. "B-but..."

Tenchi let out an angry breath. "Oh for God's sake Ryoko *grow up*!" He turned away from her and hurried out to find Sasami.

Ryoko just stood there reeling. It felt as though he had just slapped her. Again. She sat down, put her head in her hands and wept. "Why can't I do anything right?"

She felt a shadow pass over her and looked up. "P-please," she begged the figure. "D-don't hurt me!?"

Tsunami just looked down at her.

"Please?" Ryoko looked fearfully up at the goddess.

Tsunami shook her head and sat down next to her, causing her to scoot over a little.

"Tenchi is right Ryoko-san, Sasami is just a child. I know how you must feel, but I can assure you Sasami has no real intention towards him. She just cannot control the surge of hormones she has recently been getting. Control comes with time."

Ryoko looked nervously over. "You're not mad?"

Tsunami smiled. "I am upset at you, but I could no more bring myself to harm you than Sasami could."

"Ayeka said she was leaving, and Mihoshi doesn't live here anymore. That means Sasami, and you I guess, are the only ones who could get in the way of Tenchi and me being together. And I'm jealous. It just got out. I mean, Sasami probably knows more about sex than Tenchi's dad!"

Tsunami had to suppress a giggle. "An... interesting image Ryoko, and you may be right from a technical point of view. Emotionally however she is only now discovering it, and she will need help coping with these new feelings. I know I am finding them difficult."

"You're both feeling the same stuff, huh?"

Tsunami nodded.

Ryoko looked back to her hands. "Sasami won't be a kid forever, and you aren't now." She paused and sighed. "You're beautiful, so she will be too."

"That is very kind of you Ryoko. I can say truthfully though that as much as she might wish it, Sasami will not let herself be with him. She is sensible enough to know that he does not see her like that, and even if he did she would not let anything happen to cause either Ayeka or yourself any grief. And in her heart I am sure she does not see him that way either."

Ryoko looked back to the goddess in confusion. "Huh?"

"Tenchi is the only real man she has known that could be the recipient of any affection she might have. In some ways her feelings were inevitable."

"I guess... I guess that's what Ayeka meant when she asked me not to hurt her." Ryoko clenched her fists. "I did though." She turned to face her properly. "Tsunami, err- Tsunami-sama, is... is the something wrong with me? I don't want everyone to hate me again."

Tsunami rose from the sofa. "I honestly don't know Ryoko-san," and without another word she left. Ryoko could have sworn she saw purpose in her stride, but she was too confused to really say.

***

Outside Tenchi sat down heavily on the grass. Sasami could be anywhere by now, and he hadn't seen which way she had gone. His thinking wasn't helped by the headache he had. Waking up like that must have done it, but he found it very difficult to concentrate, and it crossed his mind that he should have got some aspirin before he started looking. He ran his fingers through his short hair and wondered. He had already checked the vegetable store shed and the garden Ayeka and Kiyone kept, but she was no-where to be found. She had definitely left the house though.

He got up and brushed the dew off his trousers. Poor girl. All this and Ayeka hasn't even told her yet. The thought brought him to another point. Ayeka didn't come home last night.

He stared walking in the direction of the tree Funaho. Either of the princesses could be there. He now had both of them to find. Ayeka couldn't have gone home yet, he thought. She doesn't have her ship or her belongings. He remembered what she had said to him the day before, when she had told him she would be leaving them. 'I have even less for me there than I do here. I hate it all.' I hope she doesn't decide to run from everyone. But I can't make her stay here either. I just hope her father isn't as hard as he looked, she really needs a family somewhere. I don't want to think of her alone out there.

When he reached the tree he found its island empty, the water around it still as he walked across the stepping stones. He would have asked the tree if he could, but its memory bank couldn't tell him what it did not know. He sat down against the large rock near its base. "You know," Tenchi said to himself, "it a lot nicer here than I remember." He hadn't been to the tree for a very long time. Not since before Yuhuza and Mayuka.

***

Ryoko was still in a bemused, faraway place when she heard the door to Washu's lab open. It just slipped by in the background as her mind whirled, filled with confusion about what had just occurred. If she had been in Tsunami's place she would not have taken prisoners, but the goddess had merely talked with her, and in doing so she had forced her to realise a great deal. 

Tenchi's words echoed in her head. 'Oh for God's sake Ryoko *grow up*!' I... why can't I grow up? That was the root of her problem. Even Sasami's more mature than me. She knows what to do when things go wrong. I only make everything worse. Why can't I... I... She shut her eyes tight. I don't even know the words for it!

When she looked up again the thought was dashed from her mind. Washu stood near the living room entrance looking for all the world like a stone figurine, emotionless and blank. Her mass of spiky red hair cascaded messily down her back, not bound by any of her usual ribbons or bands, and her clothes hung off her small frame looking far, far too big. For once her unrestrained enthusiasm wasn't there to fill them for her.

Ryoko blinked, expecting something, anything, from her. "Hey Washu, finally decided to get some air huh?"

Washu just stood there, a single tear making its way down her left cheek. Ryoko stared in worried astonishment. No smart remarks, no whack for the lack of her cute title, nothing. She rose from the sofa and stepped towards the scientist, who for the first time looked very, very small in her eyes. "W-Washu-chan? You okay?"

Washu's face creased as the tears started in earnest and she ran headlong into the woman she had so longed to call daughter, knocking them both onto the sofa and holding onto her as if her life depended on it.

"I'm sorry Ryoko-chan!" she sobbed, "I'm so, so sorry!"

Ryoko sat there in shock as the self proclaimed 'Greatest Genius in the Universe' cried into her top. She tentatively patted her hair as she tried to work out what was going on. Then she remembered. It turned out there was a lot to remember.

"Why am *I* the one trying to comfort you here Washu? You did all those tests on me. You used me as a decoy when the Masu got out. You turned me into a damn kappa! You tied me up and left me all alone in the dark. Do you know how much I hate the dark!?!"

Washu just tightened her grip around Ryoko as she sobbed harder. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I didn't want to hurt you!"

Ryoko was furious. How dare she claim that after everything she's done to me? She didn't even give me a choice when she stuck Zero in me! Another part of her mind rebelled against that though. But you know it was the right thing to do. You gave yourself no choice.

Ryoko faltered. "Wh-why? Why did you do all that to me?"

Washu looked up to her with a tearstained face. "I only wanted to hear you call me Mummy! It's all I ever wanted to hear!"

"I was *scared* Washu! You left me alone, just like in that cave! And... and what about everything else? I was raised on tests and the stuff Kagato told me, then the stuff he beat into me when I told him I didn't want to do it any more!"

"I know!" Wahsu cried, "I'm sorry I didn't fire him when he started getting ambitious. But I could see what he did. I *was* there!"

"How am I supposed to call you Mum? You never act like I'm anything but a weapon! That's what you made me for anyway!"

Washu's look turned hard. "NO! You were *never* a weapon. You're my daughter. I just wanted to be a mother again, but I wanted to give you everything. You... You're better than anyone else in the galaxy at anything physical, and you've got the potential to be a genius like me if you wanted to! Can... can you blame me for wanting that for you?"

Ryoko's look back was almost harshly rueful. "You never treated me like it! You just thought you could do all that stuff because I could take it, just like Kagato did. You think I liked getting blown up by some stupid anti-matter blob-girl?"

Washu buried her head in Ryoko's dress again. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I did it. It was a good plan! I just didn't think... Please, let me try again?"

Ryoko was very tempted to say no. She didn't need anybody but Tenchi, and she didn't owe Washu anything. She wanted to grow up though, just like Tenchi said, and if she couldn't do it like everyone else then she would just have to force herself to learn how.

She shifted uncomfortably. "Okay. Just... don't do that stuff any more. I don't like it."

The smile that broke out on Washu's face could have eclipsed the sun, and naturally new tears followed, only this time for the best of reasons. They sat there for a while, Ryoko wondering what to do next while Washu thanked the Gods that she had a second chance.

Washu finally let go and sat up next to her. "Ryoko-chan?" Ryoko's frown let her know that was the first thing to go and she cringed a little. She hope she would get to call her that eventually, but right now she wanted something else far more badly. "Ryoko? Will you call me Mother? Please?"

Ryoko stared at her for a while, looking at her hopeful face with more empathy than she would admit. "Don't... Don't get used to it, but even if my life did get screwed up, I guess you tried. Thanks Mum."

And Washu's heart melted. "Thank you Ryoko."

Ryoko shook her head, having had too much emotion for one day. "Yeah, well, I got to go get some more painkillers."

***

Time passed a lot more quickly than Tenchi realised as he sat there meditating. It was almost twenty minutes before his headache brought him back to reality and he realised he should be looking for the two princesses. Stupid! You have more to do than sit around, so go and do it! he told himself.

He got to his feet and headed back down the stepping stones to the path. He scanned the woods carefully as he went, calling out their names every now and again, but each time he was only met by silence. Perhaps at least one of them is with Grandpa at the shrine. I don't know where else Ayeka would be. She can't have spent the night in the woods.

He picked up his pace, still keeping his eyes open. The woods all looked the same now, a never-ending mass of brown and green. If she were out there he would never find her. If she were out there she would be hypothermic by now. He shook his head to banish the thought. What are you thinking Tenchi? She's smarter than that. And even if she is out there Washu can find her. I'll drag her out of that lab by her hair if I have to. He shook his head again. But she's *not* out there so stop thinking about it you idiot!

A sharp pain brought him out of his thoughts and he slapped his hand to the back of his neck. "OUCH! Damned insects!" Whatever it was he had missed it. He growled and started walking again. He could see the old shed coming up. "Right! Maybe Ayeka spent the night here."

He ran over and slid open the door. He wasn't prepared for what he saw. Nobody would have been. "A-ayeka-san?"

Ayeka sat there in a simple white kimono, the obi tied loosely around her waist. The kimono's front was open as she sat there, her legs tucked under her on the bench. Her eyes were closed, and she held a ceremonial tanto to her breast. Either she didn't hear him or paid him no mind, as with one swift motion she pulled the weapon into her chest. She never made a sound.

"*NO!!!*" Tenchi ran up to her and caught her as she fell, the blood draining from his face. He was completely unable to think as she lay in his arms, her blood seeping out around the blade and down her bare chest.

"Ayeka! AYEKA!?" Tenchi only panicked for a moment before quickly laying her on her back and cradling her head. His mind was blank as he pulled the tanto from her, eliciting a gasp from Ayeka as it came free. He pressed his hand to the wound as the blood flowed out, and Ayeka whimpered, her eyes fluttering open.

"T-tenchi... –sama..." Her eyes met his and for one brief moment he thought he could see into her soul, her loving smile lighting up her pained face. Then her eyes closed and he felt her slowly go limp.

"AYEKA! No Ayeka, you... you've got to stay awake. Can you hear me? You've *got* to stay *awake*! Wh-what about Sasami-chan? AYEKA! *AYEKA*!"

Tenchi sobbed as tears poured down his face. "I need Washu!" He turned to run out, but felt his hands still against Ayeka's chest. "Pressure."

He looked around quickly, then hurriedly removed his shirt, pressed it against the wound and weighted it with a nearby stone. He didn't know if that would do any good, but it was the only thing he could think of. Without another thought he ran, heading back to the house. I have to get Washu. Oh God, she didn't want to stay, and she didn't want to go home. You couldn't tell Sasami this. Ayeka, please don't die. You didn't have to do it. You... you can't die. WHY DIDN'T I JUST GO STRAIGHT TO FIND YOU? 

***

Ryoko squirmed restlessly as Washu stuck the sensor ring onto her head. "Hey, come on Washu, leave me alone will you?"

Washu frowned at her, setting her down as she summoned her laptop and began taking readings. "Ryoko, just sit down and let me take a look. There's no way you of all people should have a hangover this long, and migraine isn't an option. You're not genetically capable of them."

"Washu it's just a headache. People get them all the time! I'd be fine if you just let me get something for it!" She tried to rise again but was firmly pushed back down.

"No." Washu fixed her in the eyes. "If you're going to take anything *I'll* give it to you, and I won't know what to give you if you don't sit still."

Ryoko frowned, giving a small pout as she sat back and crossing her arms. "Jeez, one 'Mum' and she lets it go to her head!" she muttered to herself.

Washu's frown deepened as she scanned the data she was being given. "That's odd. There's nothing wrong with you."

Ryoko rolled her eyes. "*I* could have told you *that*. Why would a headache show up on that thing anyway?"

Washu looked at her daughter again. "*Everything* shows up on here Ryoko. According to this though nothing's wrong. Maybe I should give you a full scan."

"No!" Ryoko phased across the room, leaving the sensor ring to fall uselessly onto the sofa. "No more tests! You said!"

Washu looked helpless at her. "I just want to see what's wrong. And something *is* wrong Ryoko."

The argument became a moot point however when Tenchi careered through the door. "WASHU! Ayeka just stabbed herself! She needs help!"

"*WHAT*!!!" The two women stared at him in disbelief.

Tenchi gasped for breath. "Ayeka just tried to commit suicide. In the old shed. You have to help her! *Please*!"

"BLOODY HELL! Stay here!" Washu yelled before phasing out.

Tenchi leaned over with his hands on his knees, tears still staining his face as Ryoko's own began to fall.

No, Ryoko thought as she stood there in shock. I did it again! I... I didn't know. I thought you were just going to go home. I'm sorry I said all those things. Please be okay Ayeka.

The two of them were torn from their thoughts by the smash of breaking glass. Sasami stood there in the hallway opening, two shopping bags lying at her feet where they had fallen. "No." She shook her head, trembling from head to toe. "Sh-she d-didn't. IT'S NOT TRUE!"

She turned and ran, and Tenchi bolted after her. "Sasami-chan!"

He snagged her arm and pulled her back into a hug, crying just as much as she was. "Sasami-chan, it's okay. Washu-chan went to help her, *sob* just like before remember?" In truth he hated himself for saying that. He couldn't believe that she was dead. It's wasn't possible, not even in the worst of nightmares. Except that it was. He was screaming on the inside, because he had held her as she died.

Sasami just stood there in complete shock, hugging back with all her strength. "It's not true. It's not true. It's not true," she wept into his chest.

Ryoko just stood there. She could tell that Tenchi didn't believe what he was saying, and it hurt her all the more that she knew it.

All eyes turned to Washu when she phased back into the living room. She hung her head, and Sasami and Ryoko broke down, Sasami bawling into Tenchi's chest and Ryoko into her hands. Tenchi looked over in shock, fresh tears pouring down his face. "N-no! Washu-chan you have to..."

She cut him off before he could finish. "There's no-one there Tenchi-dono."

Tenchi stared back in shock and the two girls looked up at her in confusion. "Wh-what?".

"The shed was empty Tenchi-dono. Ayeka-san wasn't there."

"B-but I..." Tenchi stammered.

Washu shook her head. "No, nothing. Except this." He caught his shirt as she threw it to him. There wasn't a mark on it. He looked down at his hands, but they were clean too. Both should have been covered in blood.

"I saw it," Tenchi said in disbelief. "I was there, I p-pulled the tanto out!"

Washu walked over to the sofa and picked up the sensor ring, holding it out to him. "Put it on."

Tenchi looked at it dumbly for a bit, then he hardened his resolve and stuck it forcefully onto his head. He was going to find out what was going on, and if that meant putting up with Washu's machines then so be it.

Several minutes later Washu sighed. "Tenchi-dono, I haven't got a clue. It looks like there are traces of a naturally secreted hallucinogen in your system, but secreted in massive amounts. Anything you've seen since it started could have been your mind playing tricks on you, but why I don't know. I'd have to do a better scan than this to find out."

Tenchi collapsed back into the sofa. "Thank God, Ayeka's okay. But she's still missing."

Sasami looked up from where she was being comforted by Ryoko on one of the chairs. "Maybe... *sniff* maybe she went with Ryo-chan somewhere."

Ryoko looked down to her with raised eyebrows. "Ryo-ohki?"

Sasami nodded. "I wanted her to come shopping with me, but I couldn't find her." She looked over at the bags by the hall, and at the broken glass that had fallen out of them. "I guess I need to go shopping again, huh Ryoko nee-chan?"

Still nee-chan? Ryoko smiled. 

All further thoughts were halted when the glass doors slid open. Ayeka stood there smiling sadly at them. "Everyone, thank you for..."

She was silenced when Tenchi tore up and embraced her. "Ayeka! You're really okay! Ha haa!" Whatever Washu had told him he had still held her in his arms as she breathed her last, that was what he had experienced, real or not, and now here she was right before him. 

Ayeka stood there stunned as he kissed her, then practically got bowled over as Sasami ran up to join them in what became a monster of a hug.

Ryoko and Washu just looked on, and Washu laid a hand on the taller girl's arm. "Don't worry Ryoko, he's just glad to have her back."

Ryoko looked on in envy. "Yeah. Me too." Looks like the contest's still on Ayeka. She thought back to something said for a bit of fun a long time ago, only now it held much more weight. I will let you go first, if that's what it takes.

Over with the others Tenchi and Sasami finally let go, letting Ayeka breath freely at last. "What is going on?" she asked, completely baffled as to what had just happened.

Washu flippantly waved a hand. "Tenchi just flipped is all. I'm not surprised with the way you lot carry on." She summoned her laptop again and started analysing the readings the sensor ring Tenchi was wearing was still sending her.

"Where have you been Onee-sama?" Sasami asked when she had calmed down. "We were all really worried about you."

"I spent the night at the shrine with Onii-sama. I wanted to talk about my return to Jurai."

Sasami's smile faded. "You really are going home?"

Ayeka nodded. "Yes Imouto-chan. As pleasant as Tenchi-sama's affections were just now I am returning to Jurai. You are old enough to be trusted on your own here, especially with Tenchi-sama and Ryoko-san to look after you."

I don't believe it! Ryoko thought. She couldn't help but feel happy that Ayeka had said that, and it wasn't because the princess was still going home.

"I didn't think I'd told you yet though," Ayeka continued, a little confused now. She had wanted to speak to Katsuhito before Sasami, hadn't she?

"I just, sort of, knew you were," Sasami replied. "Tsunami said I might start feeling things sometimes if they were important to me."

"I see." Ayeka smiled. "Well, maybe you'll be the one looking after Tenchi-sama and Ryoko-san then."

They both giggled a little, then Sasami gave her a quick hug and headed for the kitchen. "I'll put out some things for lunch."

As she left Washu looked up to Tenchi. "I hate to say this Tenchi-dono, but whatever it is that made you hallucinate is still going. You'll get another happy trip in about two hours if my readings are correct. It's like that section of your brain is still being stimulated, but without any stimulus!"

Beside her Ryoko yelped in pain and clasped the base of her skull, jogging Washu as she did.

"Hey, watch it Ryoko, I'm trying to work here."

Ryoko just grimaced. "Ow,ow,ow. Jeez, what was that?" All of a sudden the world fell out of focus and the bottom dropped out of her mind. "M-Mummy?"

Washu looked up to see the whites of Ryoko's eyes turn a sickly shade of green. "Oh shit!" She vaulted backwards just in time to avoid Ryoko's energy sword as it sliced through the air where she had stood.

Tenchi and Ayeka stepped back in shock. "Ryoko! What are you doing!" Ayeka cringed as Ryoko's sword swung towards the scientist and she closed her eyes. The dull clang of weapon on weapon brought her up short and she opened her eyes to see Washu with her own shorter energy blade out fending off Ryoko's attacks with surprising skill. I had no idea Washu could do that as well!

Washu back-pedalled again to buy herself some room as Ryoko drew back for another swing and she flipped a steel statue at her with a flick of the wrist, drawing it from sub-space in no time at all. Ryoko turned it into slag in three swipes, but it bought her enough time to do what she needed. "TENCHI! TAKE OVER! SHE'S BEING CONTROLLED!"

Tenchi already had his sword out and ready and leaped over the sofa to take her on, the Tenchi-ken ignited in his hand. He deftly dodged Ryoko's prepared strike and slashed at her left arm, severing it completely. Ryoko leapt away holding the stump looked at him emotionlessly. Tenchi watched in sick fascination as the severed limb melted away and the power gem dropped with a clack to the floor. "Whew, that was WHOA!" Tenchi cried as Ryoko phased behind him and took a swipe at his back. He dodged and parried frantically as Ryoko went at him full force. "WASHU! WHAT'S GOING ON! I GOT THE GEM ALREADY!" He knew that he was the superior swordsman, if only by a bit, but Ryoko more than made up for it with power and versatility. He knew he couldn't win against that, and killing her was not an option. 

"Give me a minute!" Washu called back, her hands blurring across the keyboard of her laptop as she simultaneously tried to lock onto Ryoko and isolate her bio-wave pattern from all the interference she was getting.

"Tenchi nii-chan!"

Ryoko turned from her offensive and flew straight at Sasami, her eyes as cold as her attack. Tenchi knew he wasn't going to reach her in time to stop her.

With a massive hiss of sparks and ozone discharge Ryoko rebounded only inches away from Sasami and fell crashing to the floor. Ayeka stood there with her arms outstretched, the shimmer of her force field surrounding herself and her sister. "You will not harm my Imouto!"

Ryoko just lunged again and brought her sword down against the field again, right above Ayeka's head. The princess could see the tension in the ex-pirate's arms and the shaft of energy very slowly started to push its way into the field. A drop of sweat began to roll down her temple as Ayeka pushed as much as she could into maintaining the field that protected them. There was only so far the shield could hold before its structure collapsed, but the only way she could concentrate the power further was to shrink it, and she wasn't going to leave Sasami vulnerable. 

Her wait ended when Tenchi reached them and Ryoko took a vicious slash to the back that would have killed any human instantly as it tore through their spine. The blade just cut and burned through Ryoko's malleable flesh and she swung round to the Tenchi again. He raised the Tenchi-ken to block and was pushed back as strike after strike rained down on him. A swift kick knocked Ryoko to the floor and gave him chance to take her sword hand. He had noticed she had not bothered to regenerate her left one and knew she would have to use precious time to re-grow them both. To his surprise she flew straight back up and buried her fangs in the side of his neck. Before he had chance to react she flew back, ripping two painful gashes into his flesh and spitting out the skin she had managed to take off. Tenchi and Ayeka stared at her in horror as the blood dripped down her chin, her face still emotionless. Sasami buried her eyes in her hands as Ryoko leaped again and Tenchi readied to counter.

As she flew a look of astonishment flashed across her face and she collided limply with her target. Tenchi was knocked to the ground with her, her sudden expression having thrown him off, and he struggled for a second before realising she was unconscious. All three looked to Washu, who flashed them a victory pose. "Just in time! Am I good or what?"

Tenchi struggled out from under Ryoko. "Thank Washu-chan. What's wrong with her?" He lifted Ryoko and lay her on the sofa, then walked over and picked up the red gem still lying on the floor. "I thought she would be okay once I got this." He brought his other hand up to hold the hold two small gashes at his neck, wincing as he touched them.

"Washu? Is Ryoko nee-chan going to be okay?" Sasami asked looking worriedly at her friend's battered body.

Washu nodded encouragingly. "Yep, she'll be fine Sasami-chan. Give me an hour or two and she'll be right as rain." She looked over to Tenchi and took the gem as he offered it. "I don't know whether you noticed Tenchi-dono, but Ryoko has a few built in safety indicators in case... something goes wrong." Sorry Ryoko-chan, but it's true.

"This wasn't like when Kagato got her. If someone actually manages to take control of her mind or motor functions her irises change colour depending on what it is. If her consciousness is bypassed or corrupted then the whites change. Kagato liked to do both so he had complete control of what she did and what she remembered. This time only the whites went, meaning whatever happened caused her to just freak out. Something managed to shut down about 87% of her cognitive function and she was running on, for lack of a better word, auto-pilot. In this case it was a combative one."

She looked up at Tenchi with more than a little apprehension. "You, err... haven't been having headaches recently have you Tenchi-chan?"

"Umm... Yes?" he said with no small amount of trepidation. When Washu got familiar with you she was going to get weird. True to form she did, and started banging her head on the table.

"Err... Washu?- Er, Washu-chan? Are you okay? Are the headaches what caused this?" 

Washu looked up tiredly. "It's always the most obvious things isn't it? A recursive loop of ambient alpha pitch waves. They're everywhere, but if someone managed to direct them somewhere then they could cause headaches and promote additional chemical secretions to help cope with it, hence the hallucinations. I expect you've been having headaches too Ayeka."

Ayeka looked worried. "Actually yes. I'm not going to attack you am I?"

"Naah. Give me a minute and I'll whip up something to help neutralise the effect." Her laptop floated over and she began typing. "Ryoko's brain is very different to yours and Tenchi's. Whereas yours were tricked into rebelling against you, the waves affectedRyoko in the same way a magnet will affecta roll of film. She has natural defences for this, but if it builds up enough it'll shut down any number of mental processes. You have the same defences, but just react a different way when they're breached. Luckily the damage is both very minor and temporary, so I won't need to tinker around with her beyond regenerating her while she's out. Waking up like this would be very painful. You'll be fine once the chemicals are out of your systems."

She stuck her hand into a sub-space hole that appeared by her side and plucked out a small bottle of tablets. "Here, take two each." The bottle was passed round but Sasami just held it when it came to her.

"Umm... Washu-san? I haven't had any headaches. Should I still take them?"

Washu's eyebrows rose. "Eh? No, in that case there's no need. Errr... Whatever's sending these alpha pattern waves will have effected everyone on the property, so I'm okay since they can't reach sub-space, but I guess you have Tsunami to thank for your immunity."

"Yes."

They all turned to see the goddess standing at the table. "Sasami and I would be immune to the effect you describe, but that is not the only thing being broadcast, and none of us are immune tothat outside your laboratory Washu-chan."

The diminutive scientist looked at her seriously. "What do you mean?"

Tsunami bowed her head. "I believe there is a ship above us, and has been for a least the last two weeks. One I am unable to detect. It is somehow instigating this farce."

Sasami looked up at her. "Tsunami? You..."

Tsunami looked back. "I will not allow my family to be hurt."

Tenchi looked curiously at the scientist. "Washu-chan? Wouldn't a ship have shown up on your computers?"

Washu cringed inwardly. "Yes, normally it would, but... I haven't been myself lately Tenchi." Thanks to your wallowing in self pity you've cost us all Goddess knows how many days of this hell. And you call yourself a scientist.

She looked up at him. "I am also still updating my labs from what I used before I was captured by Kagato. That's no excuse, I've let myself get carried away with new projects, but if it uses very new technology it may not have shown up."

She hardened her resolve. There wasn't any point in wondering what might have been. She could fix it now. "Well, we have to stop whatever that ship is doing. The pills are only a temporary solution. The alpha pattern waves would have to be continually broadcast at us for several days to get this effect, and they'll still be going. Also it isn't easy to harness them this way, in fact I don't know anyone who has managed it to this level which is why I didn't think of it earlier. Whoever it is doing it has put a lot of time and effort into this."

She looked at each of them in turn. "Sasami, please take those to Katsuhito-dono," she said, indicating the bottle of pills, "he'll want to take some too. If he's behaving strangely come and find Tsunami and she'll help you." Sasami nodded and rushed off.

"Tsunami, please go and call Kiyone and Mihoshi. We may well need their help, and they'll have been affectedby this too when they were here, whatever that other signal you mentioned is. Chances are they'll want in."

Tsunami nodded and left for the hall phone.

"Tenchi-dono, Ayeka-sama, follow me. I'll put Ryoko to recover and we have planning to do." She motioned to Tenchi's neck where the two small cuts were still seeping blood through his fingers. "I'll deal with those too."

The three of them got up and headed into Washu's labs. Once they were inside Washu placed Ryoko into a medical tank and set the required program, then headed straight to her main monitoring station. A small light was flashing there. "Damn it."

***

Syren strode with purpose through the wire and pipe ridden innards of the Juraian ship. While the ship was certainly not tree powered it still kept the traditional wooden stylings under the mass of mechanical adaptations that had been made. Where the central tree pod should have rested were the main workshops, both her birthplace and her current destination. She tightened her grip around the small cloth covered mass under her arm. As she had thought, the plan had been executed with efficiency and precision. There was no chance of failure. Strangely, that was not as much of a comfort as it could have been. 

She knew that her master knew about her growing concern over the actions she was required to perform and she found it a troubling matter. He was her master, father, creator, call it what you will, she belonged to him. She should not be capable of anything other than total obedience, exactly what the man deserved. Why then did she try to distance herself from the actions she was required to perform, and would he still deign to keep her because of it?

She reached the laboratory entrance and paused, allowing herself a moment of vanity to make sure she was suitably presentable before entering.

"My lord," she said, presenting the bundle to him, "the assignment is completed. There were no errors."

He looked over from where he worked and smiled broadly. "Excellent! Superb work Syren. I trust the anaesthetic was sufficient?"

"Yes sir." She unwrapped the cloth and pulled out the small, unconscious form of Ryo-ohki. She held her up by the scruff of the neck for verification. "Sir," she said hesitantly, "I did observe some aberrant factors during the mission."

The surprise was evident of the old man's face. "Oh?"

"It appears that this specimen is of higher density that was originally projected. In addition she had no less than four common forms and shows the potential for high level energy focus and manipulation inall of them."

"Very interesting," he mused as he peered at Ryo-ohki. "Washu must have made some modifications from her original design. Put it in containment. Whatever it can do it can't cause us any problems there. Hmmm... This may even work in our favour."

He looked at Syren and nodded in approval. "Well done Syren. Take some time to yourself. I will prepare for our departure."

Syren felt a little anxious at that. There was still much she could prepare for and many variables that might have required her to be an active participant. Complacency was not something she could rationally understand. "Taishi-sama, would it not be more prudent for me to remain on combat alert in case we are discovered before we are capable of leaving? I observed that the child is rarely far from this one, and that she was searching for her while I was there. It was fortunate she did not find her. It would not be illogical to surmise that she would become aware of what I have done."

The old man shook his head. She was taking the responsibility heavily again. "What *we* have done Syren. The chance is slight since I have made sure the alpha generator is running full power. They have their hands full. If they do manage to discover what has been done soon enough to matter then we will repel them. Remain in combat readiness if it will ease your mind."

"Very well Taishi-sama." Syren tucked Ryo-ohki under her arm again and left. 

It was not a long way to the containment area but she found herself slowly stroking the cabbit she held as she walked. This is... pleasant. Perhaps Tashi-sama will allow me to take custody of her when he has finished his work. She felt strangely attached to her thanks to the hours she had spent watching them all, and the cabbit was not the only one.

As she entered the containment room she was greeted by a raspy growl. Inside one of the large force shielded partitions a slightly larger, grey cabbit was raised up on its haunches, its messy fur standing on end. "Chaaaaa!"

Syren carefully placed Ryo-ohki on the floor and typed a command into a control panel in the wall, snapping another force shield partition around the area where Ryo-ohki lay. She walked over and looked at the grey cabbit. "Do not cause a disturbance. There is nothing you can do to but co-operate."

Ken-ohki just glared back up at her. "Chauu!"

Syren decided to just ignore him. He had been confrontational ever since his separation from his partner/owner. She typed in another string of commands to have Ryo-ohki's partition pump in the gaseous chemical she needed to recuperate, then left thetwo cabbits to themselves. 

When Ryo-ohki started to stir Ken-ohki was up against the transparent wall that separated them and looking worriedly at her. "Chauu?"

Ryo-ohki shook her head as she got groggily to her feet, her ears flapping about her face. "M-miya?"

"Chauu!"

The two of them pawed at the shield between them for a while, then Ryo-ohki frowned at their prisons and phased into her humanoid form.

Ken-ohki's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. That was new to him!

Ryo-ohki continued to frown and stood concentrating, wondering if she could do the same sort of thing in this form that she could as a spaceship. The held her child-like arms out in front of her and felt a small energy ball form. With a sharp cry she shot it forward and watched it explode against the force field. True, it had only been a weak one, but could feel pleased with herself for at least being able to do it!

Unfortunately it was nowhere near strong enough to break through the shield. She sat down dejectedly, "Miya?"

Ken-ohki, still somewhat in shock from seeing Ryo-ohki looking like a human, shook his head. "Chau chauu." He had already tried to break out by transforming into a ship, but the field was strong enough to teach him a real lesson in pain when he couldn't break out of it to expand. "Chauu chiau."

Ryo-ohki nodded sadly. They would have to wait for their partners to get them out.

***

Ryoko woke up to the unpleasantly familiar sensation of suspension in the sharp smelling fluid of a regen tank. She floated there and stewed groggily as she tried to will the sedative out of her system while she waited to be let out. As it turned out regen wards in hospitals were more secure than a high security prison. It was completely impossible to get out of one on your own.

Thankfully Washu's blurred form soon appeared and freed her from the smell that was know galaxy wide as the harbinger of very unpleasant surgery. Once out she phased a few feet across the room, leaving the liquid behind and getting into her blue and yellow outfit. She looked around at the others assembled there and the prosthetic tail she wore began to move nervously. "So, what got me?"

The others shifted on their feet and Tenchi looked up at her from the floor. "That would be me."

Ryoko's face fell in horror. "No, th-they got me again? Who did it? I didn't hurt anyone did I?"

Ayeka, Sasami and Tenchi looked nervously at each other, but Washu smiled. "Naah, you just gave Tenchi a good work out. Sorry I didn't figure it out earlier." Her face turned serious. "Follow us."

Washu turned and left the room followed by the others.

"I'm glad you're okay Ryoko nee-chan," Sasami said. "We were all really worried about you." Tenchi and Ayeka nodded. Ryoko smiled a little and followed them, rather confused and more than a bit wary. She frowned to herself. People were controlling her far too often for her liking and she swore for the thirty second time in her life that she would never let it happen again. She'd stopped believing it by the twelfth.

"Hey, Ryoko, are you okay?" Tenchi asked.

She blinked and looked up. "Uh, yeah sure." She smiled again. "I'm fine."

Washu led them to a field-side park in the lush landscape that was her lab's entrance. To the surprise of everyone there was a large Japanese table and a video board sitting there. Washu sat down on one of the cushions at the table and motioned for the others to do the same.

"We have a problem." Washu fixed them all with a deadly serious stare. "In low Earth orbit above us is a ship which, for some reason or other, is trying to break us down. As most of you know it is broadcasting Alpha waves at us and has been for the last 50 hours or so." She brought up a diagram on the screen.

"Alpha waves?" Ryoko asked, having missed out on the last explanation.

Washu nodded. "They're what got Tenchi-dono seeing things and shut down most of your mental systems. You were working on only a few mental systems, your tactical and combative ones among them."

Ryoko frowned but let her continue. "What's more worrying is that there is a second signal coming down too, and I'm guessing it has been for at least the last two weeks."

Any further explanation was halted as a small beeper in the pin on Washu's shirt started flashing. "Good, they're here." The quartet looked across the field to see Tsunami and Kiyone walking over to them. One thing was wrong though. "Huh? Where's Mihoshi?"

Tsunami knelt down delicately on one of the spare cushions and Kiyone sat down heavily on another. "Kiyone? Isn't Mihoshi with you?"

Kiyone shook her head. "She's gone."

"What?" The others looked at her in disbelief. "Gone where?" Tenchi asked, worried.

Ryoko's question had more weight. "How do you mean... gone?"

If it was possible Kiyone's face fell even further. "Oh God!" She swallowed heavily. "I just figured I'd let her lie in after yesterday, but when the alarm woke me up for lunch she was gone. She'd packed up her futon and done the dishes, but she wasn't in our apartment."

Ayeka walked over and put a hand on her arm. "Why didn't you call us?"

"I've just been asking around the area. Why would she come here without telling me? She still asks my permission to go out to the shops!"

Washu leaned across the table. "Kiyone, have you been having headaches?"

Kiyone looked up a little surprised. "Yes. I woke up with one. How did you know..?"

Washu chucked her the bottle of pills. "Take two. Looks like your apartment's been targeted too. I take it everyone there's been on edge?"

Kiyone thought for a second. "I don't really know, but one of the students got evicted yesterday."

"Right. Tenchi-dono, Ayeka-san, please tell Kiyone-san what I told you. I'll be back in a second."

She opened a door out of her lab then teleported over to Mihoshi and Kiyone's apartment block, her laptop already out. There was a large focus of the alpha waves directed on the building. She looked around, then stuck her hand into sub-space and pulled out a little chibi Washu doll. She snuck around the building and under the stairway, then placed the doll there and pressed a button on its front. A small piton shot out and secured it to the wall. She pressed the second button, then took another look to make sure the coast was clear before phasing out and back to the house.

Back in the lab the door re-appeared and she stepped back through. "Okay, I've set up a null field around your place so the people there will be okay for now." She plopped back down on her cushion. "Now where was I?"

Sasami raised her hand. "Something else besides the alpha things."

Washu smiled. "Thank you Sasami. You don't need to put your hand up here though. I'd say that for about the last two weeks there has been another signal being broadcast at us. It's a complex and quite subtle mix of things, but alpha waves are among them, so it's probably being sent by the same device. It basically stimulates emotional responses. It's the reason everything's gone to hell recently."

Ryoko growled. "That bastard. He turned us against each other! Made us hate each other so he could do... whatever he's doing! When I get my hands on him I'll..."

"Ryoko wait." Washu was standing, as was Ryoko. 

Ryoko looked down at her puzzled, then sat when Washu motioned for her to. "What? That bastard's been getting us to tear each other apart! Let's just go..."

"No." Washu shook her head. "He didn't do anything to us. We did it to ourselves."

"What? But you said..."

"What do you mean Washu-chan?" Ayeka asked.

Washu sighed. "You need to understand this. All he did was amplify what we already felt. When Ryoko got mad at you Ayeka it just pushed her that little bit more, but the effect was rather unpleasant as you well know. By the same token Tenchi-dono made a joke about Mihoshi's mentality that he might have otherwise repressed, and it affectedher more than it otherwise would have. I can't prove any of it though. Anything that happened could have been us just as easily as it could have been the influence of these waves. It just made us less emotionally secure."

Kiyone put a finger to her temple and closed her eyes. "I... think I know the time it could have started. I locked us out of our apartment and got a bit steamed up, and Mihoshi actually asked if I was going to hit her. It just struck me as odd at the time, but I guess it could have been that. Even if she was, well, worried I don't think she would have really asked like that. At least I hope not. I don't want to think she's actually been afraid of me." 

Washu gave a depressed grin. "It's devastatingly clever actually. Given long enough it would affect anyone, and anything could happen, but it would always just be a facet of their personality. If they hadn't started using heavy alpha waves as well we'd never have picked it up. I still don't get why they did that."

"It's like shooting themselves in the foot," Kiyone commented.

Just then Sasami caught their attention, weeping from her cushion. "It's... it's my fault! I told Tsunami and Kiyone that something was wrong. They did it because I found out! Ryoko nee-chan got hurt because of me!"

Washu slid over and hugged the young princess. "Shhh, it's okay Sasami-chan. You may be right. They probably had someone watching the house, but you found out. That makes you smarter than them, and they got desperate. And now we can find them and stop them thanks to you."

Sasami looked up hopefully. "R-really?"

Washu smiled. "Really, and Ryoko's fine. That probably would have happened anyway." What was one little white lie when it saved a young girl's peace of mind?

"Yeah," said Ryoko, "and we're still friends, right?"

Sasami nodded happily, "Mmm hmm!"

Tenchi looked over to Washu. "What about Mihoshi?"

Washu grinned. "Leave the bubble brain to me."

As they all filed out of the lab so Washu could start searching in real space Kiyone made sure she was walking beside her. "Hey Washu-chan, don't call Mihoshi that any more okay. It really upsets her, and she looks up to you a lot you know."

Washu nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah, okay. Just don't expect me to be nice if she keeps trashing my lab."

***

The small group stood in front of the bar. They could hear a song start up inside. 

"Oh, yeah, they have Karaoke on Tuesdays too," said Kiyone.

They opened the door, and up on stage stood Mihoshi, singing her heart out. 

"~... around, and he was dignified.

He showed me what it was to cry.

Well you couldn't be that man I adore,

You don't seem to know, seem to care, what your heart is for,

I don't know him any more.~"

She sang in perfect English, almost no hint of an accent. At an unspoken signal the Masaki's group took a couple of tables and sat down. This was just one of those moments you didn't interrupt.

"~There's nothing where he used to lie,

The conversation has run dry,

That's what's goin' on.

Nothing's fine, I'm torn,

I'm all out of faith,

This is how I feel,

I'm cold and I am shamed,

Lying naked on the floor.~"

Washu slowly raised her eyebrows and rested her chin in her hands. "Who would have thought she'd snap like this?"

Only the aliens could tell exactly what the lyrics were, but Tenchi knew enough English from school to understand most of it. The princesses had their expansive education, after all Earth was a Juraian colony world, and Washu had learned every earth language in her first week there. All four sat spellbound at the performance, as did most of the rest of the bar.

"~Illusion never changed into something real,

I'm wide awake and I can see the perfect sky is torn,

You're a little late,

I'm already torn.~"

Ryoko had an innate affinity for language. "She really was broken up about it, huh Kiyone?"

Kiyone nodded, her Galaxy Police regulation translation chip letting her enjoy the music to the full.

"~So I guess the fortune-teller's right,

Should have seen just what was there and not some holy light,

But you crawled beneath my veins and now,

I don't care, I have no luck,

I don't miss it all that much,

There's just so many things that I can't touch, I'm torn.

I'm all out of faith,

This is how I feel,

I'm cold and I am shamed,

Lying naked on the floor.~"

Tenchi felt a tap on his shoulder and the waitress motioned for him to go over to the bar.

"Do your party know the young woman on stage?" the barman asked in a quiet voice. Tenchi nodded.

The barman smiled sadly. "She's been here for the last six hours. She's been doing one song every hour, and she's brought in a lot of good people."

"~Illusion never changed into something real,

I'm wide-awake and I can see the perfect sky is torn,

You're a little late,

I'm already torn.~"

"I'd like to offer her a job on our karaoke nights, to help get the good business in, but I haven't got a word out of her except for song requests."

Tenchi nodded. "I'll ask, but she's been through a lot recently." The bartender nodded understandingly. Tenchi looked over to the others to see Ryoko looking back at him with hope in her eyes. He bought a drink for everybody.

"~Torn...~"

Ryoko got up and helped him carry them back giving him a small note. "Thanks." Once by one the others paid him for their drinks, Ayeka paying for Sasami's. It was a surprise to him, but he wasn't going to turn them down. He was poor enough as it was.

"~There's nothing where he used to lie,

My inspiration has run dry,

That's what's goin' on.

Nothing's right, I'm torn,

I'm all out of faith,

This is how I feel,

I'm cold and I am shamed,

Lying naked on the floor.~"

Ryoko smiled and closed her eyes, letting the music wash over her. Mihoshi was on very good form. She was brought back to reality when someone placed a hand over hers. She was met by a lean face, spiky bluish hair in a hooded cloak and a Juraian warrior's tattoo.

"~Illusion never changed into something real,

I'm wide-awake and I can see the perfect sky is torn,

I'm all out of faith,

This is how I feel,

I'm cold and I'm ashamed,

Bound and broken on the floor,

You're a little late,

I'm already torn.~"

"Nagi!"

"~Torn.~"

The others all looked round sharply, Ayeka gasping when she saw who it was and Sasami ran over to her sister.

Mihoshi stepped off the stage and saw the group. She seemed oddly calm. "Oh, hello everybody. What are you... Nagi-san!"

Nagi looked seriously at them. "I'm not here to fight."

The others looked at her sceptically, and with no small amount of fear. 

The bounty hunter took her hand off Ryoko's and rested her elbows on the table. "Sit down."

Slowly the others did. "There's a guy whose been setting you up to gut each other. He's in a Juraian ship in orbit over that shrine you live in."

"We know this already," Washu said, "and that you're working for him. Why tell us?"

Nagi frowned menacingly. "*Was* working for him. I get paid, I get you," she said, motioning to Ryoko, who tensed a little, "he gets his revenge, and he gets the cabbit."

"*What*?" There others looked at each other. Ryoko tried to feel Ryo-ohki across her link. There was nothing there. "S-she's gone! You bitch! You helped him kill Ryo-ohki!"

In a flash Ryoko was out of her seat and ready to beat Nagi to a pulp, but the hunter was also up, the tip of her blaster sword resting against Ryoko's throat. "Don't worry, she's alive. He just cut her off from you."

"You're lying!"

Sasami looked worriedly at Washu "W-Washu-san?"

Washu shook her head, having already tried to feel Ryo-ohki across her own link. "She... she could be dead, but Nagi could be telling the truth. It's not impossible."

Nagi nodded. "It's very possible. He has Ken-ohki too."

Ryoko slowly sat back down, as did Nagi, and Washu sighed. "So that's what he's doing, he was after the cabbits."

Mihoshi frowned. "But why would anyone want to take Ryo-ohki Washu-chan? Do you think he collects cute stuff?"

Washu gave her a deadpan stare while the other sweatdropped. "No Mihoshi, I don't." She turned to the others. "I designed Ryo-ohki to be unique. Somehow someone must have got hold of the plans or something because there's more than one cabbit out there."

"Five, as far as I know," Nagi supplied.

"Jeez," Washu said, "I hope the queen never gets word of that. Anyway, somehow the secret stayed contained. What do you think someone would pay for a fleet of them?"

"A fleet of Ryo-ohki's?" Ayeka paled. "That would be..."

"Bad," Washu finished. "Looks like this just turned into a rescue mission. I trust you'll let us take Yukinojo?" She asked, referring to the Galaxy Police shuttle Kiyone and Mihoshi had.

Kiyone nodded. "I'll get it ready."

She headed out of the bar, slowly followed by the others. "Hey Mihoshi," Washu said, "have you been getting headaches?"

Mihoshi nodded. "Yeah, but it's gone now."

Washu held out two pills. "Take these. They'll stop it coming back."

Mihoshi looked at the pills then swallowed them. "Thank Washu-chan."

As they reached the door the barman caught Tenchi's eye. "Hey, Mihoshi, you like singing here right?"

Mihoshi nodded. "Yeah. It made me feel better, you know?"

"Would you like to get paid to sing like that?"

Mihoshi smiled her first real smile in two days. "You mean like a job? Sure, that would be really cool!"

Tenchi looked at the barman who was smiling broadly. "We'll talk about it when we get back then."

At the front of the group Ryoko looked cautiously at Nagi. "You're coming?"

"Yes."

"It's a truce then right? You don't try anything, and when we're done you leave."

"It took me eight days to find my way back here on this damned island. We both want revenge for this, and you're the only ones who can help me get mine. You're free for now."

Sasami looked up at the cloaked bounty hunter. "Why do you hate Ryoko nee-chan so much Nagi-san? Even she can't remember any more."

Nagi looked sharply down at her, making the girl recoil slightly, then shifted her gaze to Ryoko, menace dripping from her features. Ryoko just stood there, hoping Sasami hadn't said too much. 

Nagi stood silent for a while, then turned back and continued to follow Kiyone. Ryoko may have missed it, but Ayeka could have sworn she saw Nagi's shoulders droop a little under the cloak.

***

Back at the house Ayeka hung back from the others as they got ready to go out against the man above them. Another 'adventure' was coming, or perhaps it had long been here already. And in all of the commotion it was Tenchi's attempt to approach Ryoko that she watched. He really did look very cute trying to pluck up the courage to say whatever it was.

He actually managed to catch the cyan haired woman by surprise, no mean feat Ayeka knew. As it turned out however he wasn't pledging his undying love for her. In fact it was quite the opposite. Ayeka stood there in surprise as he told Ryoko he didn't want a relationship with her yet, with any of them in fact. And it seemed that Ryoko already knew.

In fact she laughed at it as thought it were obvious! Ayeka wondered how long Ryoko had been privy to this one piece of information she had not. Not that it mattered though. Ayeka left them to it and walked slowly to her flower garden. Kiyone was missing, she was prepping Yukinojo for launch, but the princess didn't intend to start gardening right now. She spent almost a minute looking at the flowers before selecting twelve and carefully picking them.

She headed back to Ryoko and Tenchi, just in time to see Tenchi run off and up to the shrine. He had said he wanted his grandfather to look after Mayuka while they were away, and she would be ordering Azaka and Kamidake to do the same. Ryoko turned to see her walk up and smirked a little.

"Too late princess, you just missed him."

Ayeka just stood next to her and offered the flowers. "They're not for Tenchi-sama Ryoko."

Ayeka almost laughed at the jumpy look that crossed Ryoko's face. "Hey, now wait a minute..."

"I believe I owe them to you Ryoko-san." Ayeka place the flowers in Ryoko's hands.

Ryoko blinked at them for a minute before catching on. "Uhh... Thanks Ayeka. I can't un-kidnap you though."

Ayeka turned away. "There is something else you can do though, and I b-believe you will do it admirably Ryoko-san."

Ryoko looked in confusion at her. She had glimpsed her at the corner of the house as she spoke with Tenchi. She's still giving up? After she heard what Tenchi said? She took a step forward as Ayeka began to walk away. "Hey, you're comin' with us to teach this guy a lesson, right?"

Ayeka turned back and smiled menacingly. "Of course. I owe him a great deal of pain."

Ryoko raised an eyebrow. "That's more like it!" She paused for a second. "Friends..?"

Ayeka nodded, then twisted the inner band on the ring that adorned her left hand. She felt herself bathed in light, and when it faded she stood there resplendent in her Juraian battle armour. "Sisters in arms!"

The two of them stood there looking at each other, then broke up laughing.

***

On the pier of the decking that surrounded the Masaki house Nagi stood looking at the emerging stars. "It's been a long time since I've seen them like this. Too long."

For some reason she couldn't have explained if you asked her to she sat down, then lay back to watch the glimmering dots of light, listening to the water underneath her. "It's all been too long."

***

To Be Continued...

---------------

Please send any comments and criticisms to:

nutzoide@hotmail.com

Or leave them on the archive where you found this story.

If it will help me improve, I want to hear it.

Also, feel free to visit my website at: www 'dot' geocities 'dot' com/nutzoides

Author's Notes:

It's strange, but some parts of this chapter ended up very difficult to write. The timing when everything happened gradually drifted away from my original plan as I got into the feel of it, so I ended up making some alterations that made working out the sequence of events difficult a little difficult. 

For those who don't know and would like to, the song Mihoshi sang was 'Torn' by Natalie Imbruglia. I don't usually like song fics due to my lousy music knowledge, but it felt right for the scene. I hope you agree. If you don't know it don't worry, the lyrics speak well enough by themselves for the purposes of the scene, which was the reason I included it.

***

Translation Notes: 

-chan: Diminutive honorific. The closest English speakers have is 'little' or 'li'l'. Used for children, very close friends or lovers. A term of affection with the connotation of youth.

-dono: Translated as 'Lord/Lady' or as 'Sir' in the way a knight would be addressed. Can imply martial prestige.

-ken: The name attached is the name of a sword. The Tenchi-ken is the 'Sword Tenchi'. (It can also mean 'technique' or 'fist' when used as a suffix for the name of a move. I won't be using it that way in this fanfic though.)

-sama: Formal honorific. Translated as 'Lord' or 'Lady'. Very respectful.

-san: Translated as Mr. or Miss. And so on. Can be used for both family and personal names.

-sensei: Translates as teacher or professor and can be used as a word on its own.

Bokken: A wooden training sword.

Chibi: Translates as small with the implication of cuteness. I'm using it when describing a super deformed image of someone. Super deformed is when the character is very small or squashed, chubby and very cute, as seen used in some anime and manga for comic effect.

Glomp: A very enthusiastic hug, almost physically throwing yourself at the target to be glomped.

Imouto: Meaning 'younger sister' and often used with the '–chan' suffix although other can be used.

Kanji: The Japanese naming characters.

Kappa: A Japanese water sprite. 

Karaoke: Popular pastime. Music is played along with the lyrics and you sing the song yourself. 

Kata: A set of martial arts moves linked together into a sequence for training purposes. Practised solo.

Kimono: A traditional Japanese outfit tied round the middle with a wide ribbon or similar length of material called an 'Obi'.

Manga: Japanese comics. There are types for pretty much everybody, not just the children and collectors.

Miso: Bean paste often used in soup. Comes in several varieties.

Mori Tatakai: Literally translates as 'Forest Battle'. I used the Japanese since I designed it as a Jurai thing, not Earth related.

Onee-sama / Onee-chan: Meaning 'elder sister'. The '-sama' variation is respected and the '-chan' one is more affectionate.

Onii-sama / Onii-chan: As above but meaning brother. Sasami uses the '-chan' variations of both for members the family because she feels affection for them, as family and friends.

(They can also be used without the 'O' at the beginning when placed after someone's name, signifying that that person is their 'brother' or 'sister'. Sasami uses this for the family she is not immediately related to such as Tenchi and those she considers family like Ryoko.) 

Onsen: A public or communal bath. Often associated with a hot spring.

Ramen: A noodle broth.

Sake: Japanese rice wine.

Sashimi: Small portions of raw fish.

Sushi: Small portions of raw fish often with vegetables wrapped in rice and a seaweed sheet.

Tanto: A Japanese dagger. Often looks very much like a dagger sized katana. The katana is the traditional samurai sword.

Tanuki: Smallish Japanese mammal similar to a raccoon (I think). Tanuki statues are often placed outside shops for good luck.

Tempura: A form of deep fried food.

Teriyaki/Sukiyaki: Japanese sauces/marinades.

Wasabi: A hot Japanese horseradish often served on or accompanying sushi.

***

Completed: May 14th – 2003

Posted: May 29th - 2003


	9. When the Strings Get Cut

Before we start let's get one thing straight: Tenchi Muyo and everything that officially comprises it is owned by AIC and Pioneer. This is unofficial and the story and original characters I create belong to me, so I'd be grateful if you ask before using them in something else. Please, PLEASE don't sue me. I'm only doing this to think up these little disclaimer thingies!

***

Faith, Hope & Carrot Soup

- A Tenchi Muyo Fan-Fiction By Nutzoide –

Chapter 8: When the Strings Get Cut

Sasami stood alone in the lounge room of the Galaxy Police shuttle Yukinojo. Just like always the others had left it to themselves to plan out the coming assault, and even Tsunami had deigned to keep her out of the decision making process this time, promising that she would make her arguments for her. Many of the others were still worried about the young girl coming along and it had taken a great deal of persuasion, arguments and a small tantrum for them to allow her to come at all and not stay on Earth with Mayuka.

While she could resent the fact that she was treated like that it did allow her to prepare herself for what was ahead. She stood in front of the massive mirror and inspected herself. While she was not an overly vain girl she did admit to herself that she looked good in the armour she wore. The ring that summoned the garb sat on her left middle finger, and long thick gloves reached up her arms almost the elbow, just as the boots reached half way up her shins. The baggy cloth underneath radiated a soft green-blue colour that was so pale as to seem almost hypnotic, and the brown and black armoured tunic fit well across her, held by a belt of rich blue. The padded undershirt fitted snugly and complemented the ensemble with its purple line, and a black headband sat half concealed under her hair, four short purple and brown tassel plates hanging from it beside her temples. Two floating rings of deep green and blue hung around her left arm just above her elbow, spinning around as they hovered there and channelling the force shield powers around her in readiness for use. Her hair was tied in its two long ponytails, this time further down her head and behind her, making her look several years older. Across each cheek were the twin dark stripes of the warrior.

She reached over to the table and picked up her control key, the trigger like form fitting perfectly in her hand. She concentrated for a moment and a small shaft of blue energy arced out of it and back across her fist. It was no Tenchi-ken, and she had never used it as a weapon in her life, but the simple knuckle blade was her weapon of choice. She, like her sister, would use her force fields to maximum effect, but unlike Ayeka she had no desire to rely solely on her key's defensive measures to fight. She did not have her sister's aptitude for unarmed combat.

She extinguished the blade and gave herself another look in the mirror, a small smile creeping onto her face. She wondered what the others would think. After a while she turned and headed for the hallway, standing outside the door the others were talking behind. She looked out of the window to see a small speck in the blackness of space, their target. Behind her she heard a swish as the door slid open and the combat group all appeared, Ayeka and Tenchi in their own Juraian armour, Ryoko in her skin tight black and red combat suit and Nagi in her full bounty hunter armour and cape. Kiyone and Mihoshi both wore their Galaxy Police issue tactical armour, orange/red metallic looking plates covering their forearms, shoulders, bust, hips and legs over a black bodysuit and jacket. Behind them Washu and Tsunami wore their own chosen outfits, Washu her green academy uniform and Tsunami the beautiful and extravagantly ornate kimono she had worn when Tenchi had first met her all those months ago. Every one of them stopped dead as they saw Sasami, and all but Tsunami let their jaws drop in surprise.

Sasami lifted her arms and gave a twirl. "What do you think?"

The jaws remained where they were, and Tsunami gave a proud smile.

Sasami's smile slipped a little though. "It looks okay, right? I am coming with you after all. I'm not going to sit here on Yukinojo while you all go off without me."

Ayeka shifted nervously. She was still very much opposed to Sasami coming along with them, and Washu had felt the same, although she didn't show it. Tenchi figured it wasn't his place to say anything about what she should do, but he did at least nod. "You look great Sasami-chan."

"Yeah, you're really, really pretty Sasami-chan!" Mihoshi agreed. Kiyone nodded. She was still uncomfortable with the idea, but she knew Sasami was capable. So long as someone was with her she wouldn't oppose her coming along. According to Nagi an extra pair of hand would be welcome, not to mention an extra force field.

Nagi herself looked at the young girl critically. "This is no place for kids," she said bluntly, before giving a small smile for the sake of the girl's pride. "Good thing you're mature enough to keep them in line!"

Sasami positively glowed. Washu grinned, thinking the same thing herself, and Tsunami nodded. Sasami looked at Ryoko.

The ex-pirate looked a little put out for a second before grinning. She agreed with Kiyone on this one. "Let's give 'em hell!"

*** 

Syren looked out of one of the ship view ports. The small grey dot was steadily getting bigger as it raced towards them. She pondered how she should approach them as she waited for Taishi to call for her to prepare for the assault.

She was proven correct as the video station beside her flickered into life a moment later and Taishi appeared on the screen. "Syren, I should pay more attention to your intuition. I'm sure you're already aware that the targets are inbound as we speak. You know the plans already. Choose whichever position you wish, but under no circumstances deviate from the plan, or allow anyone to get past you. I will be on the bridge. Good luck."

The screen turned black and Syren started off down the hallway. "And to you Taishi-sama." She ignited her energy blade. This will be an educational experience.

***

All nine of the passengers of the Yukinojo disembarked in a landing bay that was, for lack of a better phrase, a gothic mechanical nightmare. It was aesthetically beautiful, but in that way that makes your stomach crawl, like an artistic horror film.

Kiyone looked around and shivered. "At least they let us in. Blowing your way though a bay door is awkward."

Sasami was holding Tsunami's hand. "I really don't like it here."

"Neither do I," Tsunami said, "it feels very cold."

Thankfully for their nerves the corridor was somewhat less uneasy on the eye. Washu looked around. "Well, it looks like we'll have to split up," she said bringing up her laptop. "I can't scan anything in here." Plus I really want to have a good explore, she didn't say, as much as she thought it.

"Split up the princesses," said Nagi, once again surprising them all by volunteering information. At Ayeka's cold glare she continued. "Those force fields will be useful. From what I've seen the security system will be pretty much defenceless with those on. Taishi relies heavily on his mechanics and nothing metallic will get through, so it's only the odd photon turret you'll need to worry about. He's got a few nasty surprises though, so watch your backs."

Washu looked up to Tsunami. "How are you in a fight?"

Tsunami looked down almost cryptically. "I will be able to deal with whatever I am given, but I will not leave Sasami."

Washu nodded. "Okay, us three and Ryoko will head this way then," she said pointing down to the right, "And you lot go that way."

Ayeka raised her hand a little. "Washu-chan, the most active resistance should be this way," she said indicating to the left where she and the others would go. "I believe it is likely to lead to the main ship systems if this ship design is the one I think it is. Mother Funaho has a similar one for leisure purposes."

The others looked to Nagi for confirmation. "I was only ever on the bridge. That's to the right. Otherwise I don't know."

Washu nodded. "Good enough. The communicators I was going to give you wouldn't work here thanks to the interference, so be very careful because there's no backup coming for you." She shifted the large particle rifle in her right hand and summoned a short energy sword in her left. "Let's go guys! Good hunting."

Everybody nodded then Tenchi, Ayeka, Mihoshi, Kiyone and Nagi sprinted off down the corridor and away from the remaining four. Ryoko pouted sadly as she watched them go. "Hey, how come I don't get to go with Tenchi?"

Washu grinned as Sasami and Tsunami started off down their route. "You got to play with Yuzuha Ryoko, and I wanted to spend some quality time with my daughter."

Ryoko gave her a funny look and Washu leaned in to whisper. "Besides, I want to keep an eye on Sasami for as long as possible. I don't like her being here, even if Tsunami can protect her."

Ryoko looked up. "Yeah, well we'd better go then, because there she goes!" She pointed to Sasami and Tsunami disappearing down the corridor.

Washu followed her look and slumped her shoulders. "Oh hell! Sasami-chan, wait for us!"

Ryoko laughed as Washu sprinted after the other two before flying down to meet them. She got there in time to hear Washu make a short speech about silly Juraians who shouldn't be running off on their own. Tsunami was actually laughing, much to Washu's annoyance. "Tsunami, please, let's just stick together until we have to split up again, okay."

"As you wish Washu-chan," Tsunami said with a smile on her face. 

The four of them set off again, looking around at their bizarre surroundings as they walked. "Hey Washu-chan, what are we looking for again?" asked Ryoko as she tossed a ball of energy from one hand to the other.

Washu shook her head. "Maybe if you stayed awake during the meeting you'd know."

"You got dull again, sue me."

"Umm... could you say it again anyway Washu-chan," asked Sasami, "I wasn't there, remember?"

Washu sighed. "Right. One, we find this Taishi character and get a little bit of revenge. Two, we find Ryo-ohki and Ken-ohki and get them back. Three, we disable the alpha wave device and I get to study it." She looked around. "Actually I think I'll just take the ship. There's bound to be plenty of stuff to research here."

The corridor turned left and showed a row of doors, each being far enough apart to be a fairly large room. "Alright girls, split up and go hunting."

The storage rooms turned out to be very difficult to search through since they were so cluttered, and five minutes later they all met back in the hall empty handed. "Well," said Sasami, "there *could* have been some interesting stuff in them."

Washu made a face. "Never mind. Lets just... get ready for whatever those are."

The other three whirled round to see three small metal things hovering at the other end of the corridor. Sasami and Tsunami snapped on their force fields as the three objects suddenly flew towards them. Washu fired her particle rifle, leaving a trail of faded yellow and hitting one of the machines, which span out and missed Ryoko by inches, sticking itself to the floor behind them. The other two were ricocheted over Tsunami and Sasami by their fields and zipped up to the other end of the corridor for another pass. Washu glanced down to the downed one. It was a rough disk about half a foot across that used propeller blades at its top, bottom and middle like six-inch razors. "That could have been messy!"

"Oi! Heads up!" Ryoko yelled as the remaining pair came up again. Ryoko took one out of the air with a well aimed energy ball, slicing up the remains with her energy blade as it came down. The other came straight for Tsunami again but halted in mid air as the goddess brought up her hand. It stuttered there for a bit before being blasted back in a ball of flame as its motor system overheated. It fell to the floor, flames seeping out around its shell.

Sasami straightened up and looked at the three downed kamikaze machines. "That was scary."

Tsunami took her hand again. "You did very well Sasami." She looked at Washu and Ryoko. "Shall we go?" 

The other two nodded. They must have spent at least the next ten minutes trekking down more corridors lined with useless rooms and dealing with another dozen of the little suicidal zippers as Sasami decided to call them. Luckily Ryoko and Washu were able to deal with most of them as effectively as the first lot, although Tsunami and Sasami had to take a few that managed to get past Washu's particle rifle.

The room they came to next was the difference. Ryoko had already commented after the third lot of zippers that it was hardly the defence Nagi had told them to expect, and they soon found out why. "Oh... My... Goddess!"

The room was massive, dominated by a huge forge at one end, the source of Taishi's specialist metals. From the middle of the ceiling hung a fully active photon cannon that would have looked more at home on the *outside* of a ship, and around the walls buzzed no less than thirty zippers. Looking at it the strategy suddenly made sense to Washu. The little things were an annoyance to kill the untrained and wear the intruders down before a massive assault. After all, they would be very easy to mass produce, especially if the production rooms were as highly automated as the rest of the ship. They would have to be used where they wouldn't accidentally destroy any vulnerable systems, and there was nothing delicate here.

The photon cannon whirred round on its pivot to target them, its two barrels slowly pulling back into the housing as it prepared to fire. And that would be the overkill, just to make sure!

As one, the zippers charged down to them in a single wave, bouncing off the shield Tsunami and Sasami threw up. When the wave had pulled back there was a massive click and Ryoko flew across the room straight towards the zippers, carrying Sasami as Tsunami and Washu phased out. A split second later the cannon fired, the two massive blasts of disruption energy tearing through the wall and floor one after the other. Even as a hand held weapon, albeit a huge, shoulder mounted one, the photon gun could deliver enough power on the right frequency to get a potentially lethal amount of damage through a personal force shield. A cannon of this size would have been better used against the shields of a freighter or slow fighter spacecraft. 

Washu and Tsunami reappeared next to Ryoko just as the wave of zippers closed in again. The Juraians tried their best to get another shield up, but not before half a dozen of the machines had passed, tearing into Ryoko like a storm of flying shrapnel. She screamed and fell to the floor, clutching at her lacerated shoulders.

Sasami held the field for only as long as it took to hold off the last zippers before running to the centre of the room. The photon cannon tracked her, the barrels now pulling back again.

Tsunami grabbed Ryoko who gave another cry. "Ryoko! You have to fly up and get the gun to follow you or Sasami will *die*! Do you hear me?"

Ryoko roared and launched herself upwards, forcing the pain out of her protesting body. "DON'T YOU FUCKING *DARE*!" She swung her sword, cutting clean through one of the pivot supports of the massive gun, which swivelled round and fired directly at her.

Down on the floor Washu tensed as Ryoko phased out just in time and the photon blasts ripped into the wall, taking several zippers with them. She looked back down to see Sasami standing in the middle of the room, her hands held in front of her in warding preparation and Tsunami at her side. Sasami's brow furrowed and her force field snapped into life around her and her protector. Washu suddenly twigged to what they were up to and began firing into the cloud of zippers that descended onto them. "Ryoko, are you okay? Keep big and ugly busy for a bit."

Ryoko glance down to see Sasami's field pulse outwards. Then again, and again, ten feet, twelve, fifteen. She phased away from another huge photon blast.

Inside the shield Sasami pumped all the energy she could into it, drawing off the power that Tsunami fed her. Outside it the zippers were forced into the corners of the room so they had enough space to keep moving. Washu lowered her gun and threw the energy from her sword at the last loose one, which exploded in mid air, and she looked up to the cannon. "Alright Ryoko, into the force field."

Ryoko stopped and looked down to her in puzzlement to see the diminutive scientist run straight through a hole that opened up in the shield. She flew down and through it, touching down beside the other three and looking up. The field was high enough to bock the cannon's pivot base, and it was now just blowing holes in the walls, no longer able to shoot downwards. Sasami looked up courageously to see her field press up against the pivot of the gun and crush its supports. The cannon buckled as it was pressed upwards, and a small explosion tore it from its housing, rendering it useless. Sasami didn't stop there though and the floor beneath them began to buckle and warp as the force field continued to expand, forcing the walls of the room outwards and ploughing slowly through the bulkheads. The zippers fell harmlessly onto it now they had no room to fly and were slowly crushed against the corners of the room in four large writhing masses. The field itself had just reached the corners when Sasami stopped and let the mass of debris fall from the sides. "That... will teach them," she puffed. Tsunami looked at her with pride before enveloping her in a hug and Washu nodded in true appreciation of her talents, even if Tsunami had helped fuel the amazing display. 

Ryoko just grinned and flopped to the floor. "Sasami-chan, that was very, very cool!" 

Sasami looked over. "Ryoko nee-chan!" She ran over to her and knelt down. "Are you alright?"

Ryoko nodded, still ginning. "This is nothing." She closed her eyes and Sasami watched in amazement as the mass of deep cuts slowly healed over. "There," Ryoko said, a little out of breath herself, "no problem."

Sasami gave her an almighty hug. "Ryoko nee-chan."

After a few moments of recovery the four of them made their way onwards, taking out another two zippers in the next corridor. For some reason they didn't seem quite so bad now!

Ryoko looked down the two hallways that lead off. "Okay, so which way now Washu?"

Washu resisted the temptation to give her a smack on the behind. Control, it's worth it. "Both. Sasami and Tsunami go left, we go right. I am so glad we don't need to go up or down on these ships."

"Okay, lets go then." Ryoko floated off the floor and called up another energy ball to replace the last one she had used.

Washu nodded and turned to Sasami. "See you later."

The princess waved as the pair headed off. "Who do you think will find something useful first Tsunami? We haven't done very well so far."

Tsunami smiled and started walking. "Well, the bridge should be this way, so I think we will find one of our goals soon." In all honesty it disturbed Tsunami that she couldn't tell anything about the ship. In fact, she could only tell it was there because she was currently inside it. Somehow it was completely invisible to her detection any other way.

The pair met no resistance as they made their way down the corridors, the rooms either empty or full of supplies and mundane technical panels.

"Tsunami?" Sasami asked nervously, "Isn't this a little easy? I mean, that big gun room and now nothing?"

Tsunami had to agree. "Perhaps they expected us to be killed there. In any case we must be vigilant for whatever they have in wait for us next."

What they did find next was the bridge of the ship. The lights were off and the room was only illuminated by the display panels of the unmanned control stations. Standing in the middle of the room was a large mechanoid, which turned to 'look' at them as they entered. Eight legs stuck out low in two wide rows around its sides and its body rose up from where the head of a spider should have been. Two massive pincer claws dominated its arms, with a smaller pair of humanoid arms tucked close to its body. The head was oval in appearance, split around the middle by the sharp edge it tapered out to.

In a flash it scampered towards them but the blue haired partners were ready. Tsunami snapped a force field around it, holding it firmly in place as it writhed around and Sasami began shaping her own field into flat plates that she sent flying towards the creation. The arachnid would have proven a challenging opponent for the best team of warriors but the pair worked in perfect synchronisation as they tore away its armour and Tsunami proceeded to heat her force field as Sasami continued to strip it of its component parts.

Ten seconds later the now exposed mechanics seized up and the artificial creature fell awkwardly to the floor, its motor and fluidic systems bursting into flames.

Before they could even catch a breath Tsunami felt a sharp pain in her arm and swung round to meet the attacker. In the shadows by the other door stood Taishi with a flat looking pistol in his hand. Sasami was surprised to see a man that old. His wiry white hair was almost too sparse to be seen and what would have been a handsome, if rather thin face was now very wrinkled and sunken. Assuming he had never bonded to a tree he must have been at least eight thousand two hundred years old, the physical equivalent of about one hundred and ten for an Earth born human.

He holstered the gun and began clapping. "Bravo. I always thought that if anyone would manage to make it here it would be you Tsunami." He turned to Sasami. "And welcome to you my princess. You must forgive me but I must be taking the both of you to confined quarters."

Tsunami glared and focused her power, only to find that she couldn't. She looked down at her hands to see the energy projection that passed for her body slowly dissipating. She looked up sharply at the old man. "What did you do?"

Taishi smiled broadly. "The great Tsunami surprised? I spent a great deal of time creating a way to block your energy signature. Imagine how betrayed I felt when I discovered that our own goddess is no higher than we are, merely another creature of the dimensional multiverse."

Tsunami frowned. "I never claimed to be a deity, you chose to call me that. I never asked for followers or services or loyalty. I merely wanted to save your people from self annihilation."

Taishi took out the gun and fired again, the recoil-less beam of blue taking Tsunami square in the chest. Sasami watched in horror as Tsunami was slowly dispersed into the air, the hole expanding outwards from her chest as it picked apart her physical body. It seemed to take forever, but Tsunami could only give her charge a sorrowful glance before she was gone.

"NO!" Sasami turned to Taishi in pure fury and blasted her force field towards him, throwing the old man across the room and into the wall. He collapsed limply to the floor and Sasami walked fiercely over to him, the blue energy of her knuckle blade flaring into life. 

The former Juraian noble looked up weakly and raised a hand to stop her. "Kill me now, and none of them survive."

"YOU'RE LYING! YOU TRIED TO KILL US ANYWAY!"

Taishi chuckled, which ended up as a harsh cough. "True, the fewer of you the better, but if they are taken alive they are delivered to me. You took the most direct route, so needed to be taken care of more efficiently. Heh, hehe, it obviously didn't work anyway. Tsunami was the only one I expected to see in person. However, without me to receive them, any survivors will be killed on the spot."

Sasami stopped, a war dividing her mind in two. After a moment she began to cry, curling in upon herself as she dropped heavily to the floor, the blade in her hand sputtering out. "I hate you."

Taishi gave a sad smile. "And I hate Jurai. I bear none of you people any malice though, only the institution you come from. Had you not come here I would have left you all alone. Come princess, this way."

He reached into his robe and removed a small control panel, using it to create a containment field around the young girl. He turned to exit the bridge and the containment field followed, Sasami walking distraught inside it. "What *sob*... What will you do with us if Tenchi nii-chan, *sob*, doesn't beat you?"

Taishi's eyebrows rose. "I will finish my business, then you are free to do as you please."

"Tenchi *will* beat you," Sasami said with all the confidence she could muster.

"After I finish this that won't matter. I doubt I will live much past the end of my plans whatever you decide to do."

***

Washu looked up with eyebrows raised. "Welcome to big room number two!"

Ryoko nodded. They had obviously been heading further into the centre of the ship, since there was no way an arena of this size could fit in the outer edges of it. The arena's middle was very slightly concave, as was the standard, and the ceiling was festooned with the folded components of at least seven combat styles she recognised. Whoever this belongs to must be either rich, an expert or both, thought Ryoko.

The pair ventured cautiously inside, wary for any surprise like that last ambush had held. They didn't have Sasami and Tsunami to help them any more. As they approached the centre they were surprised to see another figure walking in to meet them.

"Careful Washu, she looks good."

"For a machine anyway," Washu replied, noticing the gleam of light reflecting off a metal body.

The figure finally stepped into the light. Its lithe body was flawless in its composition and it moved with amazing grace. Its face was lacking in any feature whatsoever, and the left arm was nothing more than a blade from the forearm down, cleft down the centre and projecting an energy blade from there. Somewhat ethereally beautiful in a surreal sort of way, Washu thought.

The female figure bowed as it reached the centre of the arena, dissipating the energy blade. "I am Syren. You will not pass any further."

Ryoko snorted. "Like you're going to stop us?"

"No. I will stop *you*," Syren replied, indicating Ryoko. "I am not required to engage either of you. You will not reach your destination. Washu-sama may continue if she is so inclined, although she will not profit by it. You, Ryoko, I wish to engage for my own purposes."

Washu looked to her daughter. "Think you can handle her? No point in us both staying if we don't need to." Despite what her analytical mind said though she hoped Ryoko would ask for her help. She didn't want to leave her to whatever this mechanical woman hand in store.

To her slight disappointment Ryoko grinned cockily. "Sure I can. I haven't have a decent duel in a long time."

Washu nodded. "Good luck then Ryoko." Slightly reluctantly she turned for the exit opposite. After all, it wasn't like she thought Ryoko couldn't win. Even so she glanced back as she reached the door, just in time to see Ryoko and this 'Syren' exchange a little banter before dropping into ready poses.

Five useless rooms and six disabled zippers later Washu was wishing she had stayed behind, at least to watch the fight. She had been feeling more prone to guilt since her self-incarceration in her lab. She hopped through another door and into what she assumed must have been the workshops for the ship. After all, the machines must have been made somewhere, and this certainly looked like the place.

She ducked behind one of the work benches and watched as an automated set of arms finished building the latest zipper on its construction line. The zipper hovered up for a second, presumably receiving its orders before it tilted downwards and headed for her.

Washu raised her particle rifle again and took it out of the air in two shots, the debris falling across the bench she had taken refuge behind. Unfortunately the weapons fire must have alerted the internal systems because she suddenly found herself under fire from a spider like creature in the doorway to another lab room. She managed to parry the first two blasts with her short energy sword, only to miss the third and have to phase across the room to prevent getting hit. Of course she reappeared right next to the man-spider thing and took its head off with a heavy swipe of the blade, only to have its claw swing round and smash her across the room.

"Ouch," Washu deadpanned as she got up and fired two particle shots into the thing's front. The machine shuddered for a while before its 'body' fell forward, firing another two shots as it went down. While it was indeed incapacitated its programming left it with a last known location of its target, and it had just enough power left for those two last shots. 

The first only managed to singe her hair, but she hadn't expected either and the second caught her in the arm, forcing her to drop the rifle. "Ah! Damn it! Sneaky bugger!" She crept slowly forward to make sure it was indeed 'dead' and, after a little prying, was satisfied to see she had hit it right in the rather small target that was the central processor. She was glad the particle rifle had such good penetration, because the armour looked very tough.

With her attacker down she tenderly prodded her arm to make sure it would still work when she healed it and proceeded to take a look around the rooms. There was no point trying to get a medical pack out of sub-space, the interference the ship emitted would just make the hole too unstable to risk reaching through.

She slowly worked her way around the workstations, severing the construction arms to prevent them taking a swipe at her when she got near. She had to admit she was impressed with the work. Although primitive at first sight the technology had been refined to a level she had never encountered before. It would be easier to use different methods for much of it, but she could appreciate the skill it had been done with. Whoever this guy is must be a fanatic.

Her examination was cut short however when another spider machine appeared at the doorway. It fired and she phased behind it again, this time cutting it through the chest, and where she now knew the CPU to be. The armour was just as tough as it looked though, and before she had finished she was struck heavily from behind. She whirled around to see the claw of a second machine headed for her face, and she phased out just in time to miss it. What she didn't miss was the clawed backhand that came at her head when she phased in again at the machine's flank. The hit threw her across the room to land in a small red haired heap, a small trickle of blood seeping from her temple as the machine closed in. She just had time to wonder how Ryoko had faired against the mechanical girl before she blacked out.

***

"So, do you accept the challenge?"

Ryoko looked over to see Washu leaving the room and dropped into a combat stance. "Ready when you are tin girl."

Syren dropped into a Jei Kun stance and waited. She wasn't disappointed to see Ryoko make the first attack and leaped past the kick to land a light elbow in Ryoko's side. Ryoko winced as she stepped back and looked squarely at the mechanical woman. She was very good, and she had power to spare. That elbow was just a warning shot. Probably relies on aerial moves and precision strikes. I doubt she can take a fall too well though!

This time it was Syren to take the offensive, leaping in with a foot ready to take Ryoko in the head. Ryoko's block however wasn't prepared for the fist that followed up and she was sent reeling backwards as Syren jumped in again. This time Ryoko leaped straight up and over the attack to deliver a powerful double kick as Syren passed under her, and she phased right through the floor as she came back down, neatly avoiding the metal blade arm that swung round to catch her on the landing.

Syren looked to where her opponent should have been to see Ryoko standing twenty feet away looking very smug. "Very well, all special abilities are accepted." She would have grinned if she could. She jumped into her next attack, snagging Ryoko by the leg as she tried to make her counter and flinging her upwards. Ryoko was so surprised she forgot to stop herself falling and Syren caught her in the back with a harsh uppercut as she came back down. Ryoko landed heavily cringing in pain and Syren took the opportunity to land a sweeping kick to her face that sent her sliding across the floor. 

Ryoko got groggily to her feet and Syren looked on from where she stood. "I expected more expertise. Though talented you are not what I had assumed you would be."

"Shut up and fight!" Ryoko growled back, launching herself forward and catching Syren in the stomach with a well placed fist. The machine doubled over as if its metal skin had been flesh and retaliated by grabbing the fist and twisting herself behind Ryoko, dislocating the joint that Ryoko's Masu based body created for itself. Ryoko screamed and flew backwards, ramming Syren several inches into the wall and causing her to release the limb she held.

As soon as she was free Ryoko phased right across the arena and concentrated to repair the damaged joint. Syren was charging again by the time she was done, but the pain was still there, as was the burning from the dozens of slashes she had taken in the forge room. She jumped over Syren as the mechanoid made her own jump and rammed her fist into the wall. Ryoko lashed out a foot to her neck as she came over and leaped back.

Syren stumbled a little and squared up into another stance. Now Ryoko was getting to know her moves another style was in order.

Ryoko didn't recognise this one and decided that she needed to finish the battle quickly. Her opponent's main strength was obviously in her knowledge. She jumped into another kick, expecting to be met half way, but instead found herself flying past her target and heading for the floor. She jumped to her feet and made another rush, only to be grabbed by her outstretched fist and pulled into an elbow to the chin then swung around to take a kick to the back. She fell to the floor again and Syren looked down at her.

"Taibouso Kurenei Sen is not a style you should meet with direct offence. Ryoko, have you not studied such things? I would assume your reputation was well earned, but any master of this style could have defeated you. Was my respect misplaced?"

Ryoko got to her feet again and summoned her energy sword. "Screw respect!"

Syren was surprised by that. "You do not respect your family? Do you not respect me as your opponent?"

Ryoko stood up straight. "Yeah, you're good, but I'm gonna beat you. We came here to pay you back for what you did and we're gonna do it! No stupid machine'll take me down."

Syren bowed her head. "It would appear your life has lead you to some harsh places."

"What the hell would *you* know about it?"

Syren 'looked' back up at Ryoko. "You are my chosen opponent. I have studied extensively on your past and present. You are unique, and you intrigue me. I have spent many hours watching you."

Ryoko gave a loud roar and swung in with her sword, meeting Syren's own energy blade as it was ignited.

"Very well then," said Syren, "let us continue."

They broke apart and Ryoko swung in again, missing Syren by a hair's breadth and taking a shallow gash to the shoulder as Syren extended her mantis-like left arm to full length to make her own attack. Ryoko hissed in pain and sent a flurry of slashes down, each one blocked or parried by Syren's own blade.

Then Syren went on the offensive with a combination of long sweeping slashes and quick swipes that had amazing reach, forcing Ryoko to defend to the best of her ability against the bizarre attack style. Syren however did not let up for a second, running from one attack to the next with amazing fluidity, and Ryoko began to wonder if she should have asked Washu to stay.

When she took her second hit, a thrusting blow that almost skewered her left leg, she made a desperation move and swung out with a sweeping kick. The blow took Syren off guard and she went down, landing with a hard thump on the wooden floor. As she went down she swung out her blade again, her faster mental speed seeing an opening, and slashed out at Ryoko, ripping open the ex-pirate's stomach.

Ryoko screamed as she took the wound and clutched her arm across it in reflex, dropping to her knees. Syren however, just like Ryoko had expected, was slow to recover from the fall and the ex-pirate took the chance to make a desperate slash, still clutching her stomach. Syren managed to block the first swing, but it smashed her blade-arm away and Ryoko followed up with a hard slash to her chest, ripping open her left breast and destroying the mass of sensors that lay there. This time it was Syren who screamed in pain and Ryoko made another two slashes, severing the machine's bladed left arm and cutting deep into her side.

Ryoko was about to make the fourth attack when her body gave way and she flopped painfully to the floor, moaning as she clutched her stomach. She tried to begin healing her wounds but she knew that she couldn't defend herself any longer.

She waited for the final blow, but instead heard Syren's pained voice. "Congratulation Ryoko-sama. You have bested me."

Ryoko looked slowly up to see Syren lying limply on her back, clutching at her mangled breast with her hand. "I knew that you would be a true challenge. I apologise for not taking you resourcefulness under pressure into ac.... account."

Ryoko grinned wryly and concentrated on sealing her injuries. "See? I told you. I wouldn't let Tenchi down."

"Yes... I envy him. At least I was taken down by my only kinswoman."

Ryoko looked at her in confusion. "Wh-what?"

"As I... said Ryoko-sama, kinswoman. We are the same."

Ryoko looked at her harshly. "We're not the same! You're nothing like me! You're just a machine!"

"As are you Ryoko-sama. We are both the pinnacle... of our respective technologies."

"No! No way am I a puppet like you!"

Syren would have smiled sadly if she had had the mouth to do so. "I am not a puppet. I owed... my creator just as you should owe yours." She looked away. "But I could never be like you. I wish to be like you."

Ryoko got to her feet painfully, still holding the slowly shrinking gash across her abdomen. "A right little Pinocchio you are. Or maybe that should be Frankenstein."

Syren gave a shudder, and Ryoko could have sworn the mechanical girl was crying. "It was the monster that was created, and Frankenstein the creator. I enjoyed that piece... of literature that I acquired." She turned back to look at Ryoko. "I can feel skin, but do not have it. I see with eyes that are... not there."

Ryoko could actually feel a little pity as she raised her sword to point at the fallen 'woman'. "No-one's perfect."

Syren tried as best she could to look into Ryoko's eyes and see something more that the membrane that covered them. She had read that you were supposed to see things in a person's eyes. "Ryoko-sama, I am afraid."

Ryoko didn't say anything as she thrust her sword into Syren's neck and neatly severed her head. She felt very confused as she watched the broken metallic body go limp and the head clatter to the floor. She was so deep in trying to sort out what she should feel that she never noticed the four legged machine approach her from behind and aim its gun. A second later she lay next to her fallen opponent, a gaping hole in her chest where the explosive round had punched through. The machine scanned her, the picked up her inert form and lay it on the scavenger frame it carried over its armoured shell.

***

Tenchi turned to look after the blue and red haired party as they scampered away.

"Don't worry Tenchi," said Kiyone, noticing his concern. "The others will look after her."

Tenchi nodded. "But Sasami's not the only one I'm worried about." He smiled a little. "Too bad I can't spilt in two and go with them as well."

"Washu is right Tenchi-sama, this is the best way to search, and each of us is able to protect ourselves, even Sasami. I doubt Tsunami will let her out of her sight." Ayeka gave him a comforting smile as they stepped through the door that led into the back of the ship.

The group wandered down the wide corridor they came to, evidently designed to be a well travelled place, and Kiyone and Mihoshi took point positions, checking each room they came to was clear of threat before they searched it.

The rooms were obviously designed to be recreational for whatever crew should have been there, now filled with metal pods stacked along every wall which looked suspiciously like stasis pods to Tenchi's rather primitive and still media influenced eyes. "What do you think is in them?" He tried to peer through what he thought was a piece of glass, but all he could see was black.

Nagi walked into the last room, only to be met by more of the same. "Probably offensive supplies. Taishi seemed very sure of himself."

"Hey, then maybe we can use some of them!" Mihoshi lifted her favourite T-98 launcher from off her shoulder. "We can get some more weapons, and Nagi, you said we'd have to fight really hard, right?"

Nagi remained stonily non-committal, "I don't think these are those type of supplies."

*beep*

The whole group looked round to Mihoshi who was standing by a control panel on the hallway wall. A few seconds later they heard a thump from the first room.

"Mihoshi," Kiyone said apprehensively, "you didn't just do what I think you did, did you?"

Mihoshi raised her eyebrows. "I don't know. What do you think I did? Come on, let's see if there's anything we can use."

She ran off back down the hall enthusiastically, followed by the others, Nagi igniting her energy whip.

A few seconds later Mihoshi screamed and was flung out of the room, her armour smoking.

"MIHOSHI!"

Kiyone, Ayeka and Tenchi rushed over to her while Nagi took up a position just behind the door, waiting for whatever it was to come out. As soon as the saucer like head emerged Nagi flicked the whip forwards and caught it round the neck. However, all that did was transfer the machine's attention to the new threat and it raised a claw to fire. Nagi managed to duck out of the way just in time, the energy beam just grazing her shoulder and cutting into the back wall.

Opposite the machine Tenchi whirled into action and ignited the Tenchi-ken, the blue beam of energy taking shape as he leaped at the arachnid machine and slashed down, nearly severing its other major arm. "*What*?" he exclaimed in surprise, seeing the arm still hanging from the automaton's body. "What's this thing made of!?"

It turned again, Nagi's whip still slowly burning its way into the machine's neck, and took a swing at Tenchi, firing as it did so.

"Tenchi-sama!"

Tenchi blocked the attack, cutting through one of the pincer edges as he did so, but winced for a split second as he saw the energy blast heading for his chest, then get reflected off a force field. Tenchi leaped back to get some breathing room. "Thanks Ayeka."

Ayeka nodded smiling. "My pleasure." She turned to face the machine as it started towards them and she projected a plane of her field towards it, knocking if off balance even on its low spread legs.

Mihoshi took the opportunity to attack and Kiyone was not far behind. The blonde fired off two of her high penetration explosive rounds, blowing all four of the mechanical creature's left legs to shreds and Kiyone shot off five precision shots of TAC density electro-plasma, finishing Tenchi's work of severing the left arm and breaking through the tough head armour. 

The machine was now virtually unable to fight under the combined onslaught of the powerful force shield hits from Ayeka and the heavy weapons fire from the pair of Galaxy Police. Nagi pulled the whip tight as the machine jerked on it trying to pull her closer for an attack it was still capable of, having lost its guns along with its claws. Another major hit from Mihoshi took out yet more of the arachnid base, toppling the machine sideways, and it used this momentum to pull Nagi off her feet. The bounty hunter tried to right herself in mid-air and managed to land feet first on the machine's shoulder and give a mighty tug to the whip, finally decapitating it as Ayeka sent the machine fully onto its side with her barrage of force field hits. 

The five pulled back to see the machine still moving, various motor fluids pouring from the massive holes Mihoshi had blasted. Tenchi raised his sword and swung down, cutting into and eventually through the machine's body. When even that didn't stop it moving Nagi dispelled the energy whip. She stuck the diamond shaped tip of her sword into the open body and fired the blaster, satisfied when the frantically twitching shoulders fell limp.

Kiyone was about to round on her partner when Mihoshi broke into tears. "Waah! I'm sorry! I didn't mean to release a rampaging robot demon!"

The other four sweatdropped and Kiyone stepped forward, laying a hand on Mihoshi's shoulder and giving a sigh. "Come on Mihoshi, it's okay. Just try to think about it a bit more next time."

Mihoshi looked up with teary eyes and sniffled. "I'm really sorry Kiyone. I though maybe we could use his weapons if this guy is really good like Washu said."

Kiyone helped her to her feet. "Never mind, it happens. A little too often perhaps, but that's beside the point. We've still got a mission to do, remember?"

Mihoshi set her face firm and nodded. "Right."

The pair set off out of the hallway and Nagi turned to Ayeka. "That was too close for comfort. Does this happen often?"

Ayeka nodded. "It takes some getting used to, but she hasn't killed us yet. Knowing Mihoshi this will make life easier later on somehow. At the very least we know what we are up against now."

Tenchi nodded and they started to follow the other two, Nagi not knowing quite what to think of working with the group instead of against them. 

When the corridor split at a main junction again they separated, Ayeka sending the Galaxy Police detectives and Nagi to where she thought the central control computer would be and she and Tenchi heading for the weapon control bay.

Tenchi halted as he rounded the last corner. "Sentries."

The pair backed up. "More arachnid men?" Ayeka asked. "We doubt we can take one of them on by ourselves."

"No. They look like insects carrying trays above them. Their bodies are small but armed with some sort of gun. Long legs too. If we take those off I think we can do it."

Ayeka nodded. "All right. I will take the one on the left. Good luck Tenchi-sama."

At Tenchi's signal they both ran round the corner, immediately catching the attention of the two machines which fired their under-slung guns towards them.

Tenchi blocked the blast with his sword and Ayeka threw up her force field, but both were thrown to the floor as the projectiles exploded against their defences.

Tenchi was up in a flash, pulling Ayeka with him and avoiding the next shots the pair made. He lunged forward, intent on taking the distance advantage away, and neatly severed the front two legs of the right machine, sending it toppling forward as he jumped and landed on the tray.

Ayeka meanwhile snapped a force globe around the small body of the other machine and waited. The second it fired the blast found nowhere to go and exploded, tearing into the armour of the body and destroying the gun outright. Ayeka smirked and concentrated, shrinking the sphere.

From his position atop the tray Tenchi swiped at the machine's other two legs and took them off, the body, tray and himself falling to the ground. An explosion shook him as the machine tried to fire and he made sure to stay behind the tray as he thrust the Tenchi-ken into the machine's body. Its body was toughly armoured like the spider things, but it didn't take long to pierce the unmoving target and put it out of action. He looked over to see Ayeka crushing the other one within her force shield, the leg joints buckling off as it was destroyed.

The pair smiled at each other and stepped into the room. They headed for the computer banks in the centre, Tenchi warily eyeing the munitions and massive energy cells that lined the walls. "Do you think you can deactivate the alpha wave machine," he asked. "We need to find out where it actually is too."

Ayeka looked at the rather complicated computer display. "I will certainly try Tenchi-sama." 

It took Ayeka several minutes of cautious typing to come up with anything useful besides supply inventories. "Oh, Tenchi-sama, I think I have it. The Alpha wave generator is in weapons bay five. The other bays are two concussion cannons, a high density laser and the standard Juraian cruiser blasters." She gave him a smile. "The weapons bays are situated in the upper and lower levels, as are the transmission relays. Now I have to find the off button!"

Tenchi watched confused as the ream of strange characters that he assumed to be Juraian came and went across the screen. 

"Oh drat! I need a password." Ayeka turned to him. "Tenchi-sama, could you please check the notes over there for any kind of password?" she asked, drawing some symbols on a scrap of paper at the computer console. "It will look something like this, but with different letters."

"Okay." Tenchi nodded and headed over to the other tables and small computer terminals that were linked up to the munitions. He scanned the screens for the letter formation Ayeka had given him, but decided not to risk blowing them up and started going through the sheaves of papers when the information on the screens proved useless. He had no idea how to work them.

A few minutes later he had three possible passwords, and Ayeka had found two at the computer station. "Well," she said, "I suppose that we have to try all of them."

She inputted the first into the console, only to come up with a blank error screen. "Hmmm, right. This is the kind of time that I would welcome Washu's help." The second came up with the same error, and the third prompted for a code with a higher clearance level. As soon as she had finished typing the fourth and submitted it the lights shut off and the blast door behind them slammed closed, making both of them jump.

Ayeka looked back to the screen and read out the message for Tenchi. "Multiple unauthorised access attempts detected. Intruder countermeasure initiated." She summoned her combat logs.

"Oh hell," Tenchi said under his breath as he ignited the Tenchi-ken, its glow illuminating them in a pale blue light. He never had a chance to use it though as a fine grey mist descended on them and they soon found themselves unable to think.

"I'm sorry... Tenchi-sama." Ayeka managed as she keeled over, the gas overpowering her.

Tenchi fell to his knees. "Damn..."

He lasted another few seconds before blacking out beside her.

***

Mihoshi jumped through the next doorway, her launcher at the ready, and Kiyone spun in behind her, levelling her electro-plasma rifle. 

"Oh, more hallways." Mihoshi lowered her gun and walked in.

"The living quarters," Nagi observed, keeping her sword ready. "The main computers should be through here."

The two Galaxy police took point, making sure each of the rooms was clear before moving on, and Nagi staying behind with her weapon ready. Having come up against one of the heavily armoured monstrosities already she knew she had the disadvantage when it came to weaponry. Her combination sword-whip-blaster was designed to incapacitate living beings, not cut through metal.

From ahead of her Kiyone called them over. "Err, guys? Look at this."

Both Nagi's and Mihoshi's eyebrows rose when they saw the room, but for completely different reasons.

"Wow, those are so good!" Mihoshi said appreciatively.

I don't like this, was Nagi's response, not one bit.

The room, unlike the others, appeared to actually belong to someone. However, the only belongings it held covered the walls. Engraving after exquisite engraving, ranging from small to absolutely huge, covered every square inch of space. Some Nagi recognised as the old Juraian Taishi, but one face stood out as it dominated the room.

"Ryoko."

Over half of the pictures were of her, covering almost every facet of her personality. One of the raging pirate, sword at the ready, another of her crying alone on a deserted path. Some, like that last, were devastatingly personal, ones that Ryoko would never have admitted to being a part of. The largest engraving of all was a massive life sized picture of Ryoko sitting on the branch of a tree swinging her legs, looking directly at the viewer, a rare glimpse of her calm, contended side shining through.

"We need to warn her," Kiyone said with concern. "Whoever this room belongs to will be after her specifically."

Nagi nodded. "I'll go. You two keep heading for the central computers."

She hurried out of the room and down the corridor, only to be met with what looked like a sea of moving metal. "INCOMING!"

She turned and ran back, firing her blaster into the mass of small machines as she did, but a small white beam lanced out and caught her in the arm. Instead of the burning she expected the limb went numb, forcing her to drop the sword. Up ahead she saw Mihoshi roll out of the doorway and across the hall, letting off a shot that detonated behind her and into the swarm. Kiyone stood in the doorway, a determined look on her face as she fired, her rifle in one hand and her Galaxy Police blaster pistol in the other. "Come on Nagi!"

Nagi kept running but another beam caught her in the back, and she crumpled to the floor. She forced her arms to move as she saw more beams pass above her and force the detectives to take cover. She crawled as fast as she could towards the door Kiyone had backed into, but she soon heard the clattering of metallic legs close around her. She looked over to see a small, six legged machine scamper up by her head. Its body was flattish with a small emitter perched on top of it, four focus rods surrounding the central one. The space between the rods glowed white as they were levelled at her face.

"Fuck you!" Nagi spat before the machine fired and the world went black.

"Nagi!" Mihoshi cried as she stepped back out of the room. She fired another shot into the back of the hoard and dozens of the little things were blown apart. There were far too many of them for it to make much difference though as the machines closest to the downed bounty hunter stopped and began to lift her up like ants taking their latest catch. The wave of machines parted as she was carried off and the pair could only watch as the sea of machines closed in.

Kiyone stopped firing and spun to face her partner. "Mihoshi, run!"

The two of them raced to the other end of the hallway and through the connecting partition into the next room. Above them another massive photon cannon hung, whirring round to target them. "Oh shit! *Go*!" 

They dashed across the room as the twin blasts ripped the door apart. They both headed round a different way but they still got more than a little singed by the blasts. They did however make it to the other side before the blast door shut them in, Mihoshi losing her T-98 launcher as it was crushed by the closing door.

"Oh, I really liked that gun!" Mihoshi said as she looked at the protruding barrel. 

Kiyone gulped. "Mihoshi, I think that's the least of our worries."

Mihoshi turned around to see two pods either side of the door opposite. "Sentry guns?"

Kiyone nodded and scanned the hall. Only two doors sat about half way down, one on each side. "We can't go back through there," she said motioning to the room behind them, "even if I had managed to see anything useful there."

"It was just lots of boxes and things," Mihoshi said, having managed to scan the room as she dashed through it.

"Oh, that's okay then." Kiyone hadn't had anything on her mind other than avoiding a very, *very* big gun. "Well, these things should start to target us some time before we get to the doors there, so if you walk really slowly down the left wall, when the left gun pops up to fire I'll shoot it."

"Decoy time?" Mihoshi asked professionally.

"Decoy time." When they had first had to do things like this they had agreed that Mihoshi do the walking and Kiyone do the shooting. Kiyone was the better markswoman of the two and Mihoshi agreed that she was better in real firefights than the waiting game. Plus she had a knack for getting missed!

Kiyone knelt down with her rifle rested across her knee as Mihoshi slowly and carefully tiptoed forwards. "Don't mind little old me," Mihoshi lilted nervously to herself. "Just the Galaxy police coming to do justice." She didn't get much further before the top of the left pod shot up and the small multi-barrel gun targeted her. "EEEP!"

Kiyone pulled the trigger and the gun was vaporised before it could get a shot off as the main body was consumed by the plasma bolt.

However, neither of the two had taken into account that the guns had been custom made, and as such were far more complex than they were used to dealing with. As the first gun was destroyed the sensors in the base caught the direction of the bolt and its estimated point of origin, then transferred them to the right gun. Kiyone and Mihoshi were smiling at each other, ready to start on the second one when it shot up and started firing directly at Kiyone. The detective screamed as the high velocity bullets cracked her armour's shells as they glanced off them and tore through the protective cloth bodysuit that they didn't cover. 

In a flash Mihoshi's pistol was out and she was shooting at the gun. Her first and third hit took out the barrels while the second hit the support pole and the third got the actuator ring. After that the gun was no threat, but she gave it another three shots just to make sure before she dashed over to her partner.

"Oh my God! Kiyone! Kiyone, are you okay?" Mihoshi said distraught, tears in her eyes as she knelt by her bleeding partner.

Kiyone tried to sit up from where she lay hunched against the blast door, succeeding in getting herself partially upright at least. She smiled and wiped at the blood she could feel leaking from the corner of her mouth. "I guess I screwed up!" She chuckled, coughing as she felt the laugh bring more blood into her throat. "I'll live, for now at least." She could tell she'd taken at least five hits, and the armoured shell over her left arm would be useless now. The grazing shots across her head and shoulder did nothing but get blood down her, but she knew she had taken a bad one to the stomach and her left elbow had been broken as she had held it to protect her head. The other had dug its way into the right side of her chest just above the armour plate, and she guessed it had nicked the top of her lung before punching through the shoulder blade and into the door behind her.

The tears fell down Mihoshi's cheeks as she heard her make light of the obviously serious injuries. "Kiyone, you're really hurt! I... I need to get some medical things or something. Don't move okay?"

Kiyone coughed again and raised her good arm to grab her partner. "Mihoshi, just keep going and find the main computer. Then you can shut down the security system. After that everybody will be okay."

Mihoshi looked at her for a second before nodding tearfully. "Alright. I'll be back soon."

Kiyone smiled as she watched her go and allowed herself to slump painfully back against the blast door.

At the other end of the hall Mihoshi stepped carefully into a circular room, the centre filled with a ring of computer banks. "Yes, we're already here!" She jogged up to the nearest one before hearing the clack of metal against metal. She looked over to see two of the clawed spider-man machines turning from their stations, their second pair of smaller humanoid arms tucking away against their chests now they were not typing. Mihoshi stepped back in fear. "Oh no."

She bolted for the door as the pair raised their pincers and fired at her, catching the doorway as she dived out. She just managed to see a third heading for her as she scrambled backwards and closed the door, then blasted the lock. 

"Kiyone!" 

She ran over to her fallen partner, who smiled a little again as she saw her. "Hey Mihoshi, you done already?" It was beginning to get hard to concentrate enough to talk properly. Then she noticed Mihoshi was crying.

"There's three of those spider demon robots in there. I can't fight them on my own. I don't know what to do."

Kiyone let her head flop back. "Guess we'd've been better off ending up like Nagi." 

Mihoshi sat crying for a bit as they heard the machines trying to open the door. Then she frowned. "Kiyone, you're really hurt, but they didn't hurt Nagi, I think they just knocked her out. What... What if they don't need to kill us and they took her somewhere else? Maybe if I freeze us then they'll take us there too!"

Kiyone though for a bit, then smiled. "Mihoshi, you may be right. In any case it's better than bleeding to death here. Not like we can be any... worse off whatever happens."

Mihoshi nodded and stood, aiming her glove at her partner. "Kiyone, you're my best friend you know. When they get us out I'll get you healed up."

Kiyone smiled groggily at her partner's sentimentality. "Thanks Mihoshi. Guess I feel the same way." 

Mihoshi smiled a bit even as she heard the door starting to be forced open. "Most of the time huh?"

Kiyone managed a chuckle as Mihoshi fired the pseudo-stasis weapon at her, the gas forced from around the glove instantly shaping into small blue globs that ruptured on contact, forming into the large temporary stasis crystal around her.

At least you can't die like this, she thought. She looked over Kiyone's now frozen form. "Oh, your hair got melted too," she said as she saw the fused ends that had been caught by the photon cannon. She just had time to hear the door finally get forced open as she turned the weapon on herself and activated it.

***

Tenchi opened his eyes painfully. The first thing to greet him was Washu's shouting, which reverberated around his skull like a gunshot in a theatre hall.

"At least let me get some medical supplies! If you don't want to harm us then you can't just let them die like this!"

Tenchi sat up slowly with his head in his hands and looked straight into Ayeka's purple eyes. Yeah, we got captured.

"Tenchi-sama," Ayeka said with concern, "are you alright? You'll feel better in a minute."

Tenchi nodded. The sound of another voice made him turn. "Very well. Get what you need. If any weapons appear one of you dies." Taishi flipped a switch on his control panel.

Tenchi saw Washu grimace and bow her head. "Thank you." She reached into subspace and pulled out what he recognised several regen pads, some scanning rings and some hypodermics filled with various chemicals. Taishi flipped the switch back.

He looked behind her to see two prone bodies. "RYOKO! KIYONE!" They were both unconscious and stripped naked, their massive injuries exposed, ready for Washu to begin work. Kiyone was covered in what looked like bullet wounds and was very evidently bleeding to death judging from the huge pool of red that surrounded her. Mihoshi knelt at her side with tears slowly tricking down her face, holding her hand carefully. Next to her lay Ryoko with several nasty cuts and a seven inch hole in her chest.

Ayeka lay a hand on Tenchi's shoulder as he started to run over to them. "Washu says they will both survive Tenchi-sama. Just leave her to it."

Washu nodded as she gave Ryoko several large injections. "I can patch them up, but stay out of my way unless I say otherwise."

Tenchi nodded, watching Ryoko's wounds slowly close up. He turned away to see Nagi holding Sasami who looked as though she were crying in her sleep. Ayeka walked over to take her again and Nagi got up to sit away from the others against far wall of the force shield they were held in. Ayeka manoeuvred over to the ship wall beside her, Sasami in her arms. "I'm not sure what happened Tenchi-sama, but Sasami said that Tsunami was killed."

Tenchi looked at her in disbelief.

"Impossible," Washu said as she attached the regen pads to Kiyone. "She can't be killed here, or in any other single dimension. What happened I don't know, but she isn't dead."

Across the room Taishi nodded. "Very astute Washu-san. She is dead for the time being though as far as this reality is concerned. With any luck that will be a permanent situation. We have no need of false goddesses in any case."

Tenchi frowned. "Who are you to judge?"

Taishi raised his eyebrows. "And this from the boy she has manipulated into her own little soldier. A bodyguard for her once she has taken the young princess' body. She *can* be killed once the assimilation is complete after all."

Ayeka gasped. "How did you know about that. The assimilation is one of the most closely guarded secrets in Jurai!"

"Simple," Taishi said. "Any high level psycho-layer scan will reveal that Sasami is somewhat different from other Juraians. I would not be surprised if she had some level of pre-cognitive ability thanks to Tsunami's influence, and her abilities will only grow as long as the assimilation continues."

The others didn't say anything.

"Please stop it... It hurts!" Everyone turned to see Ryoko stir and Washu quickly gave her a shot for the pain.

Ryoko opened her eyes to see Washu's looking worriedly back at her. "H-hi Mum. I won."

Washu enveloped her in a massive hug that caused Ryoko to wince even through the numbness of the painkillers. "Ow, ow, I'm alright already."

Taishi lowered his head. "I can assume then that my daughter is dead?" He waited for the reply.

After a while Ryoko sat up. "Yeah, I took her out." She didn't seem particularly thrilled about it one way or the other.

Taishi sighed. "I suppose I shouldn't have suggested she cut back on her training. Then again, she always had something of an affection for you. I trust she fought honourably."

Ryoko nodded again. "Yeah, she was pretty good."

After a moment of silence Ayeka spoke. "Why are you doing this? What did we do to you to make you act against us?"

Taishi sat down at his chair. "An exposition? Very well, there is no reason for you not to know. A little over a thousand years ago I was still a member of the Juraian nobility with a seat on the council, the last of my family. Over the years I watched the old nobles give way to new blood, and with them went all the ideals we had held. I am sure you are well aware of the nature of the political system now, even given your time away. I was one of the few who were still totally loyal to the crown among the squabbling mass the noble council was becoming."

He rested his chin on his hands as he leaned forward. "I'm sure your brother would remember, if that old man down there is indeed Yosho. There was an attempted coup in the pirate's guild."

Ayeka growled. "Why you..!"

Taishi chuckled. "My apologies. As you can see I am more aware of house Jurai's sordid past than most. In any case it needed to be put down. Despite my distaste for your 'modern' technology I was one of those asked to assist in the creation of new weapons for the event, as they needed new designs in order to keep the element of surprise. My designs were rejected, as I expected they would be. However, once the 'unpleasant' elements of the guild were purged my weapons found their way into the hands of the J.I.S. when they raided the base their rogue members had constructed. I was put on trial for treason and found guilty, despite the obvious set-up. I petitioned for a royal appeal and external investigation. I was denied it."

Taishi sat back again. "I was stripped of my position and banished from Juraian space. I was lucky none of the weapons were used or I would have been executed. From that point on I began my own investigations. The coup itself was a set-up by the J.I.S. Imagine, the Juraian Intelligence Service hiring in known criminals to do its dirty work, then complaining when they get out of hand. House Jurai might as well go back to the pirating it committed all those millennia before if that is the way they do things."

"How *dare* you!" Ayeka fumed.

"I dare very easily. One by one I managed to uncover the Empire's dirty little secrets. The assimilation, and my consequent discovery of Tsunami's true nature, the underhanded acquisition of Betelgian space, the sudden disappearance of the third and fourth emperors, murdered by their own children."

"They occurred long before even my grandfather took the throne!" Ayeka argued back. "We were told of each of those, even if the people weren't, so we would not make the same mistakes. What would happen if the people found out? It would be chaos! And there is not a single ruling party that has not had an intrigue filled past."

"But surely everyone has a right to know," Taishi said in return, "and then they might not be so sure of their faith in their rulers and their deity. I would still have stuck by your family if they had not assisted my own downfall. That it was through negligence makes it all the more bitter. This is my re-payment. The cabbits and their technology will be sold, and the bidder will most certainly intend to make a play for Jurai. It is an inconvenience that may well topple the Empire's hold on the galaxy. It is about time that they realised that they must work for their rewards."

From behind the captives a weak voice was heard. "Jurai isn't perfect, but it is better than the terrorism that you would start." Kiyone coughed. "I don't know any of what you're talking about, and I'm not a patriot to my mother's home, but we don't need another terrorism war, and the Galaxy Police can stop you before you make your move. The only places you can sell that technology will be covered by us already."

Washu reached over and gave Kiyone another dose of painkillers now that she was awake. Mihoshi sat by her, a huge smile on her face. "Don't talk Kiyone, it's okay. You need to stay still now."

Tenchi stood up. "I don't know anything about politics or Jurai, but thing go wrong like that everywhere. You can't just do all this because they made a mistake!"

"More than just a mistake young prince, an orchestrated downfall. I never managed to find out who it was that wanted me out, but the J.I.S. and Galaxy Police will. They will have to launch an investigation into how the cabbits became available on the market. My name is sure to come up, and a new investigation will begin into how I got the technology. At some point they will come across the person who set me up, since they will have to go through my rather expansive history with them, and in doing so find whoever it was that was linked with the discovery of my technology, the J.I.S. and the 'rogue element'. I very much doubt the same people will be conducting the investigation as when I was ousted, Queen Funaho is better than that, so the truth will come out."

"You get cleared and re-instated, and you somehow manage to build a weakness into the cabbits so you can take them out when Jurai welcomes you back," Washu surmised.

"Oh no," Taishi said with a little amusement. "Jurai will have to solve that on their own if they want to stay in power. But, my name will be cleared of the crimes I was accused of, if only known by the King and Queens, and they will know that it was their own fault that it happened to them."

"What about you?" asked Nagi. Though she was very intelligent she couldn't see where he himself was going.

Taishi looked at her expressionlessly. "I will be dead before the year is out." He smiled. "Age has a way of doing that you know." 

***

"Onee-sama? I'm hungry."

Ayeka looked down to see Sasami awake in her arms. "So am I Sasami. He says we will be fed soon."

Over by Washu Tenchi was grilling her about how the two casualties were. Ryoko, although not in the bast of shape, was now at least up and about. Kiyone, though awake, was in no shape to be moving as the regen packs slowly knitted her flesh together. Both were at least clothed again now.

"Looks like you'll have a few more scars though," Washu said. "Can't prevent that with the supplies I have here."

Kiyone didn't say anything but she didn't honestly care. What were a few more scars to add to her small collection? She liked to keep them to remind herself of her mistakes.

Ryoko slouched against the wall. "I'm bored. Are you sure I can't cut through the floor?"

"Quite sure," Washu replied. "Especially at your power level."

Tenchi hesitated. "What... What if you had another gem?"

Ryoko looked at him. "You'd give me back another gem?"

Washu shrugged. "Whatever."

Tenchi raised the Tenchi-ken. "It's worth a try right?" He closed his eyes and willed the second gem out of the hilt and Ryoko did the same in overjoyed surprise.

A few seconds later she felt the gem appear at her right wrist and a flood of power flowed through her. "Alright! Let's get it on!"

She summoned her sword and thrust down at the floor. After a flurry of sparks she let it dissipate and sat down dejectedly. "Well, that's that." She held out her wrist to Tenchi. "Thanks anyway."

Tenchi shook his head. "You might as well keep it."

Ryoko looked at him adoringly. "You... you'll actually let me have it?"

Tenchi grinned, wondering if it was right thing to do. "Just don't destroy the house okay."

Ryoko launched herself over and glomped him. "You do trust me. Thank you Tenchi!" Then she winced. "Ouch."

"That'll teach you to listen to doctor's orders," said Washu, absently rubbing the bandage on her own arm. 

All of them looked up several minutes later when Taishi re-appeared, a tray-carrying machine in tow. "I think it's about time for lunch."

The machine slid the tray through the field and Ayeka passed round each of the bowls. It certainly wasn't gourmet cuisine but none of them cared. It was over twelve hours since they had eaten last, and that had been a small salad Sasami had thrown together before they had headed out. Alongside the food were three weapons; Washu's particle rifle, Kiyone's electro-plasma rifle, and Nagi's blaster sword. It wasn't like they would do them any good though.

Taishi himself took his seat and turned to the screens. They were now heading away from the Sol system. This plan hadn't gone at all the way he had planned after all. And he had lost Syren. He sincerely hoped he would have time to find and repair her, if there was anything to repair.

It was lucky for the captives that age breeds its own weaknesses, because it allowed them to whisper without attracting Taishi's attention. They were now all huddled around their bowls, and consequently sitting together around the still floor bound Kiyone.

"I managed to slip a few bits and bobs into Kiyone's bandages. By my calculations Tsunami will be able to fully manifest again in about five minutes with the extra beacon and composition arrangement devices, so when that happens she'll hopefully get the barrier down and we can make a break for it. It's still too risky to teleport out so Tenchi will have to carry Kiyone, but we can make it. Nagi, you wanted Taishi, so he's yours to deal with. Mihoshi will take me to the Central computers and I'll shut down the security systems and service machines. Everyone else find a quiet room and stay put to rest up."

Everyone nodded and sat to wait. A little while later the plan was in motion.

"Hello Taishi-san."

Taishi span round in his chair to see Tsunami standing in front of the field prison. He pulled the gun out but it fell harmlessly from his fingers as Tsunami's force field snapped around him.

"Release them," she demanded.

Taishi grimaced. "No."

Tsunami squeezed the force field around him and he cried out in pain. "Kill me and they die!"

"How?" asked Tsunami strongly. "You cannot reach any controls, and there are none of your machines here. I will simply ask Washu how to deactivate it."

They were all startled by a voice at the doorway. "Why Tsunami, that is hardly as enlightened as I have come to expect from you."

Tsunami whirled around to see the figure, and Taishi collapsed back into his chair coughing. "See 'goddess', I have my own ace in the hole."

None of the company spoke a word until Mihoshi saw who it was through the shadows. "Shoji!"

"I don't believe it!" Ayeka said quietly.

Shoji stood there in full Juraian battle armour of black and green, a pole in his hands that bore a light blade emitter at the top. His hair was held back in two ponytails one above the other, the sides tied above the rest in a traditional style both Ayeka and Sasami recognised as popular with the guards at the time they were still on Jurai. Two strands still hung around his face.

"You slimy *bastard*!" growled Ryoko. "It was you all along! I knew there was something wrong about you!"

Mihoshi sat there confused by Kiyone's side. "Shoji? What are you doing here? I thought you ran away."

"A little bit of deception is always fun Mihoshi-chan!" he said mirthfully.

Ryoko turned to Mihoshi. "He was playing us! It was all a set up! Why the hell would he be in Juraian armour Mihoshi? He was supposed to be an Earthing!"

They watched as Mihoshi took in what she had said and her face filled with horror. "No. He... he wouldn't."

Taishi watched with satisfaction. This part was playing out better than he had hoped. "You can't kill us both at the same time Tsunami. Not without risking them too." He pointed to the captives.

Tsunami looked at Shoji expressionlessly. "True." She turned to Taishi. "I propose a duel. You want to do things the traditional way and we have one combat capable member of each side. Non-lethal. The winner will do as they decide appropriate in the situation."

Taishi looked at her bluntly. "Why should I give up my advantage? If you think you are in the position to make such offers you are sadly deluded."

"It is you who are deluded Taishi. You insult my intelligence, and you have harmed my children. I could simply blow out the walls to space. They are safe behind the field you have so kindly provided. You are not. I am offering a chance to escape alive." Then, to the surprise of everyone, she gave him a warm smile. "I do not wish to harm you any more than you do my family."

Taishi swallowed bitterly. "Very well. You will not participate though."

Tsunami nodded. "Yes, that would be rather unfair. Shoji-san may choose his opponent from the captives, but he may not choose Sasami or Kiyone. Neither is capable of duelling to the level required."

Taishi nodded to Shoji and the young man grinned. He held out a hand and snagged his chosen opponent in a force field and pulled her through the barrier.

"Mihoshi nee-chan!" Sasami cried as the blonde stumbled to her feet outside the field.

"Shoji-san? What's going on?" Mihoshi said, her voice trembling. "You're not a bad guy, right? You were always nice... and you liked me. But you d-didn't mean it?"

Shoji grinned cruelly, the seemingly carefree face she knew now twisted unrecognisably. "Not in the slightest. You were very eager to make friends. It was almost too easy."

Tsunami looked on dispassionately. "A talented puppet."

Shoji brought his pole to bear and ignited the weapon. The small ball of energy appeared, sprouting three claw-like blades from the top, the outer two angled slightly away from the inner one.

"A Tsueibo?" Ayeka recognised it from her history lessons. One of the lesser-known polearms used when Jurai was still conquering other worlds. They were replaced with less unwieldy polearms millennia ago. 

Mihoshi firmed her face and drew her pistol, but her tears began to flow in spite of it. "S-Shoji Mugai-san, you're a really nice guy and I really liked you, and I don't think you're really a criminal, but if you are a bad person I have to stop you. I'm Galaxy Police Mihoshi, detective first class. Please, drop the weapon."

"Let's dance." Shoji swung in first, the three blades making a wide arc in Mihoshi's direction and she jumped back to avoid them. He kept the swing going and spun round, another slash aimed at her legs and finally letting the arc go high and slamming the blades into the ground at her feet.

Mihoshi dodged backwards then charged in and Shoji parried her punch with the shaft of his weapon and they passed each other. Shoji made another high swing, then leaped in to drive the inner blade into Mihoshi's armour. She cried out in surprise at the armoured shell was torn right off her suit, exposing the black bodysuit over the left of her chest. She frantically leaped away again to miss the shaft swinging round as Shoji circled the Tsueibo around his middle and brought the blades into play again, glancing off her shoulder armour and gouging into the arm below.

Mihoshi cried out in pain and the others gasped as she charged again and tackled Shoji, taking him off his feet. "Shoji please, you're not like this!"

Shoji's only answer was to flip her off and plunge the blades of the weapon into the floor next to her head. "I've always been me Mihoshi, you just need to get to know me!"

Mihoshi back-flipped away and squared up again. She fired off her psudo-stasis weapon, but it just formed a wall of crystalline matter against the force shield that Shoji put up.

Shoji's next swings were parried by Mihoshi's armour shelled gloves and she fired her blaster at his shoulders, only to have it meet the force field too.

Shoji swung round again and caught her lightly in the stomach with the blades, then was right next to her, the hilt of the pole smashing into her chest. She gave a cry of pain as she went down and Shoji thrust the butt of the weapon down onto her face. Mihoshi's eyes fell closed.

Shoji turned and bowed to the other captives, a grin still on his face. Sasami curledinto her sister's arms as she began crying and the others frowned. "You'll pay for this Shoji," Tenchi said in a low voice. 

Then Shoji and Tsunami spoke as one.

"Of course I will."

"Of course he will."

Taishi looked suddenly at Tsunami then three shots were heard. Shoji's grin collapsed as he staggered forward thenfell to his knees, the Tsueibo falling from his fingers and going out as it clattered to the floor. He flopped forward onto his face and the others saw the small smoking holes in his armour, one having breached a back seam of the super-toughened material. Mihoshi stood behind him, a bruise beginning to form on her face and her blaster in her hand. In a flash she was kneeling by him, her tears flowing freely.

"Even Juraian armour won't completely stop a point blank blaster on high yield," said Washu analytically.

"Now," said Tsunami to Taishi, "lower the shield please."

Taishi looked at her apprehensively, then pressed a button on his console. He knew he couldn't win now.

In the blink of an eye the force field disappeared and the others were racing out, Sasami staying with Kiyone. Ryoko was almost to Taishi, her sword out and teeth bared, when Nagi's whip coiled around her throat.

Everyone stopped and Tenchi looked at her with equal parts anger and apprehension. "Hey Nagi, we have a deal remember?"

Nagi kept her eyes fixed on Ryoko. "Yes, we do. I get my revenge and I leave you alone."

Ryoko stood there and, as much as she hated to do it, extinguished her sword. Nagi nodded and walked past her to where Taishi lay.

Over where Shoji had fallen stood Washu, Ayeka and Tsunami, gathered around the weeping Mihoshi as she held her bloodied arm. "Please Washu-chan, you can do something, right? You're the greatest genius in the world."

"Mihoshi," Ayeka said, "he was working for the bad guys."

Tsunami knelt by the blonde haired detective and looked up at the others. "I think this choice should be up to Mihoshi-dono. He was not quite under his own control. While I cannot detect this ship I could see many other things, including that he was under the influence of some form of suggestive notion. I wouldn't wake him up until it has been cleared."

"You mean Mihoshi was right, he was being used?" asked Tenchi as he walked over. "What about the armour, like Ryoko said. He actually said that he was deceiving us!" 

"Correct," said Tsunami, "He will remember it as a rather unpleasant hallucination, but he will remember. I would guess the armour is as old as the weapon, and I wouldn't be surprised if they both belonged to Taishi when he was a young man. It was just luck on Taishi's part that I helped him learn the polearm instead of another weapon when he was forced to defend himself from Nagi. And as he said, a little deception is always fun. Why not make us think he was working against us all along? It got you thinking what Taishi wanted you to think. His extensive past and life on Earth easily gave him away." Tsunami smiled at Mihoshi. "Choosing yourself as his duelling partner was a forgone conclusion. He trusted you not to kill him, because he couldn't have beaten any of you in an all out fight."

"You mean he was a good guy after all?" Mihoshi asked, her face brightening. She turned to Washu. "Please Washu-chan, you can help him. I know he didn't want to say all those mean things."

Washu thought for a moment then nodded. "Alright. Give me a minute. I'll patch you up too while I'm at it. Course I'll have to find out what that prat did to him first." She headed over to where Kiyone lay and motioned for Sasami to join the others, which she did with a great deal of relief, latching onto Tsunami for all she was worth. Washu and Kiyone smiled. "I'll have to borrow these for a bit Kiyone-dono and we'll need to move out. Tenchi and Ayeka will have been leaching that gas out of their clothing since they were brought here, and I think that's what's stopping the regen pads working as well as they should. You should have at least been able to sit up by now."

Kiyone nodded and tried to do so, but only succeeded in aggravating her wounds.

"Hey Tenchi, give the girl a hand, huh?" Washu called.

Ryoko looked on with jealousy in her eyes as Tenchi helped the injured detective onto his back, and Ayeka couldn't help but conceal a chuckle. Ryoko herself got hold of Shoji and they trooped out into the hall, leaving Nagi to deal with Taishi.

***

Nagi looked down to where Taishi sat in his chair, her whip held ready to dispense a great deal of pain.

Taishi looked up to her as she towered over him. "Oh, it's you. I suppose you'll want some sort of revenge now."

"You shouldn't have made an enemy out of me," Nagi said coldly.

"You were the one who broke the contract. You were supposed to sneak in, not start a tournament!"

Nagi frowned at him. "I'm the specialist *you* hired. I know my work and what it takes to get it done." She raised and ignited the whip.

Taishi chuckled a little. "Well, it doesn't matter anyway. I'm not going to get my revenge, and justice has been thwarted yet again. I hope you feel proud."

Nagi's hand stopped for a brief moment. She wasn't fully Juraian, but she could almost feel a glimmer of pity amongst the anger and drive she held. It was sad, to see a man once held as a pillar of his society, a genius of his time, reduced to the pathetic old man that lay helpless before her. It was like seeing a great tree finally collapse after all its millennia of life, its core slowly eaten away by rot.

Taishi grinned and raised his hand. He held a small mechanical device, its contents already gone. "Neither of us wins, Nagi."

The bounty hunter's eyes widened. It was a hypodermic.

"You won't get to make your kill. You can do what you like with my body, but you don't get your revenge, and you can't get Ryoko now either. With me dead the security system won't be capturing anyone any more; they will be killing. You and your temporary allies won't be getting out of here alive. Congratulations Nagi - you have failed. Failed on all counts." Taishi relaxed back into his chair, the grin still plastered on his face as his life ended.

Nagi just looked at him, then swung her sword around and smashed it into the side of his head, toppling his inert body out of the chair. Damn it! That low bastard! She rushed over to the console and stated looking of the schematics for a map of the ship. I haven't stayed my hand in so long, and this is what happens! How could I have pitied him like that? I'm the most feared bounty hunter in Juraian space. Never, NEVER, let emotion get in the way!

Nothing had gone right since she had begun dealing with this assignment.

***

"That's better," said Washu as she brought the regen pads over and set about trying to get the armour off Shoji. "Ayeka, have you lot changed your armour ring design recently," she said, trying to twist the ring on his middle finger.

Ayeka looked over. "No. Why?"

Washu frowned. "I can't get the armour to deactivate. Would you mind having a look?"

Ayeka walked over and knelt down to examine the ring. "It doesn't look any different." She tried to give the mechanism a twist. "That's strange."

Washu looked at the hole in the armour. "*Bleagh*. Never mind, I'll just work through the hole." She pulled the hole open a little, regen pack at the ready, when she flinched her hand back and the armour sparked a little.

"What the..?" She glared at the armour. "Looks like he modified it himself. Juraian armour doesn't have any electrical parts." She handed Ayeka the Tsueibo she had taken. "Ayeka, would you mind trying to ignite that please?"

Ayeka did so and almost dropped it in surprise. The weapon needed almost no focus at all to get going. "That's not normal either," the princess said as she tried giving it a few test swings.

Washu sighed. "I'll have to get him back to my lab then. Can't scan anything in here and the shot wasn't bad enough to need attention for a few hours yet."

Kiyone was being carried on Tenchi's back and the unconscious Shoji on Mihoshi's as they all headed out. Sasami was smiling as she talked with a very animated Mihoshi about how everything really turned out, all the while latched onto Tsunami's arm like a blue haired limpet, very happy to have the goddess back after their ordeal. Kiyone was grumbling about stupid Earth people who get themselves abducted with Tenchi and Washu throwing in some classic abduction stories and trivia, with Ryoko just hanging around them and having a goodlaugh. At the back of the group Ayeka heard Nagi heading up to them and fell into step beside her. She was a little disturbed about the level of knowledge Taishi had had about her family's secrets. "Nagi-san, what did you do with Taishi?"

Nagi looked stonily ahead, saying nothing.

"Nagi-san, we have a right to know. I will willingly put a bounty on him if you turn him over to us. He can't tell anyone about what he knows."

Nagi frowned. "He's not talking to anyone. The bastard decided he'd rather kill himself than let me do it."

From in front of them Sasami let go of Tsunami's arm and stopped. "Wait, that means the robots will kill us! He said they only took you because he wanted them to."

Nagi nodded and Tenchi looked at them seriously, remembering what he had seen with the others. "Then we have to shut down the security system fast. I don't think we can take on all the machines he has here."

At the front of the group Washu had stopped. Her mind was turning over at full tilt. She looked at Shoji as he hung on Mihoshi's back. Another small spark flicked from the hole in his armour.

"Oh, shit! Everyone *wait*!"

They all turned to her, Nagi with her weapon ready in her hand.

Washu looked at them all. "Taishi said Shoji was his 'ace in the hole', but he sure wasn't a match for any one of us. Mihoshi got a good shot, but if Taishi was somehow linked to the main computer systems what will happen when Shoji wakes up and we haven't got him back to himself? If the machines aren't taking prisoners any more what about *him*? God knows what stuff Taishi built into that armour or programmed him to do now!"

Ryoko gulped. "We're in trouble."

Washu turned to Mihoshi. "Where's the central computer?"

Mihoshi looked around before pointing down an adjoining corridor. "Umm... It was this way I think. This way from where we started anyway. Washu-chan, is Shoji going to be okay?"

Washu just looked at Kiyone who nodded, "I think she's right. I can guide you from the rec. rooms. There's a ship cannon and some arachnids there though."

Washu turned back to Mihoshi. "Just turn your luck up to full Mihoshi, because he's going to need it. I think we all are."

***

To Be Continued...

---------------

Please send any comments and criticisms to:

nutzoide@hotmail.com

Or leave them on the archive where you found this story.

If it will help me improve, I want to hear it.

Also, feel free to visit my website at: www 'dot' geocities 'dot' com/nutzoides

Author's Notes:

Argh, cliff-hangers! Don't you just love them? *dodges various thrown weapons* ^_^ Sorry, but it had to be done!

There was an awful lot of plot and action squeezed into this chapter and I ended putting the characters through more than I had originally intended. I think it worked out well though. Writing Shoji's re-appearance was the toughest part though, because I had had it in my head almost from the beginning, and getting it right was a priority, especially with the way the story has developed as I've been writing it.

Also, the story has taken an unusual turn because of the way that part ended up. It just didn't work first time round and thanks to the prompting and input of my main proof reader I can give it what it really needs.

***

Translation Notes: 

-chan: Diminutive honorific. The closest English speakers have is 'little' or 'li'l'. Used for children, very close friends or lovers. A term of affection with the connotation of youth.

-dono: Translated as 'Lord/Lady' or as 'Sir' in the way a knight would be addressed. Can imply martial prestige.

-ken: The name attached is the name of a sword. The Tenchi-ken is the 'Sword Tenchi'. (It can also mean 'technique' or 'fist' when used as a suffix for the name of a move. I won't be using it that way in this fanfic though.)

-sama: Formal honorific. Translated as 'Lord' or 'Lady'. Very respectful.

-san: Translated as Mr. or Miss. And so on. Can be used for both family and personal names.

-sensei: Translates as teacher or professor and can be used as a word on its own.

Bokken: A wooden training sword.

Chibi: Translates as small with the implication of cuteness. I'm using it when describing a super deformed image of someone. Super deformed is when the character is very small or squashed, chubby and very cute, as seen used in some anime and manga for comic effect.

Glomp: A very enthusiastic hug, almost physically throwing yourself at the target to be glomped.

Imouto: Meaning 'younger sister' and often used with the '–chan' suffix although other can be used.

Kanji: The Japanese naming characters.

Kappa: A Japanese water sprite. 

Karaoke: Popular pastime. Music is played along with the lyrics and you sing the song yourself. 

Kata: A set of martial arts moves linked together into a sequence for training purposes. Practised solo.

Kimono: A traditional Japanese outfit tied round the middle with a wide ribbon or similar length of material called an 'Obi'.

Manga: Japanese comics. There are types for pretty much everybody, not just the children and collectors.

Miso: Bean paste often used in soup. Comes in several varieties.

Mori Tatakai: Literally translates as 'Forest Battle'. I used the Japanese since I designed it as a Jurai thing, not Earth related.

Onee-sama / Onee-chan: Meaning 'elder sister'. The '-sama' variation is respected and the '-chan' one is more affectionate.

Onii-sama / Onii-chan: As above but meaning brother. Sasami uses the '-chan' variations of both for members the family because she feels affection for them, as family and friends.

(They can also be used without the 'O' at the beginning when placed after someone's name, signifying that that person is their 'brother' or 'sister'. Sasami uses this for the family she is not immediately related to such as Tenchi and those she considers family like Ryoko.) 

Onsen: A public or communal bath. Often associated with a hot spring.

Ramen: A noodle broth.

Sake: Japanese rice wine.

Sashimi: Small portions of raw fish.

Sushi: Small portions of raw fish often with vegetables wrapped in rice and a seaweed sheet.

Tanto: A Japanese dagger. Often looks very much like a dagger sized katana. The katana is the traditional samurai sword.

Tanuki: Smallish Japanese mammal similar to a raccoon (I think). Tanuki statues are often placed outside shops for good luck.

Tempura: A form of deep fried food.

Teriyaki/Sukiyaki: Japanese sauces/marinades.

Wasabi: A hot Japanese horseradish often served on or accompanying sushi.

***

Completed: June 5th – 2003

Posted: June 14th - 2003


	10. Gathering the Threads

Before we start let's get one thing straight: Tenchi Muyo and everything that officially comprises it is owned by AIC and Pioneer. This is unofficial and the story and original characters I create belong to me, so I'd be grateful if you ask before using them in something else. Please, PLEASE don't sue me. I'm only doing this because it feels more productive than sleeping all day!

***

                      Faith, Hope & Carrot Soup

              - A Tenchi Muyo Fan-Fiction By Nutzoide -

                    Chapter 9: Gathering the Threads

               Washu looked at them all. "Taishi said Shoji was his 'ace in the hole', but he sure wasn't a match for any one of us. Mihoshi got a good shot, but if Taishi was somehow linked to the main computer systems what will happen when Shoji wakes up and we haven't got him back to himself? If the machines aren't taking prisoners any more what about *him*? God knows what stuff Taishi built into that armour or programmed him to do now!"

               Ryoko gulped. "We're in trouble."

               Washu turned to Mihoshi. "Where's the central computer?"

               Mihoshi looked around before pointing down an adjoining corridor. "Umm... It was this way I think. This way from where we started anyway. Washu-chan, is Shoji going to be okay?"

               Washu just looked at Kiyone who nodded, "I think she's right. I can guide you from the rec. rooms. There's a ship cannon and some arachnids there though."

               Washu turned back to Mihoshi. "Just turn your luck up to full Mihoshi, because he's going to need it. I think we all are."

               Ryoko phased in behind Tenchi and plucked Kiyone from his back, eliciting a scream of pain from the detective. Without a word Tsunami moved over to Mihoshi and took Shoji's limp form from her, much to her confusion. "Huh? What..?"

               Ryoko managed to settle Kiyone on her own back and Kiyone got her breath back, wincing through the burning in her chest and stomach. "Okay Kiyone, which way?" asked Ryoko as she rose off the floor.

               "Head for the recreation rooms," she replied painfully.

               Ryoko nodded. "Anyone who can keep up had better come on, we'll meet you others there." With that she sped off down the corridor, an energy bolt in both hands. Ayeka took Sasami's hand and summoned a force bubble around them, levitating them off the floor before speeding after Ryoko. Tsunami simply winked out of existence with Shoji in her arms, presumably to the rendezvous point, and Washu took off at full pelt after the princesses. Tenchi, Mihoshi and Nagi looked at each other. "So," said Mihoshi, "I guess we have to use our feet, huh?"

               Tenchi nodded. "Let's go."

***

               At the head of the speeding group Kiyone held on for dear life as Ryoko flew through the corridors. Behind them they could hear Ayeka and Sasami following them, their force shield bubble tearing up the walls and floor as they ploughed their way through. The zipper they met on the way never stood a chance. Ryoko didn't even need to fire, she just raised the energy bolt in her hand and charged straight into it. The shrapnel just had time to bounce before being blasted into the walls as Ayeka and Sasami came through.

               In seemingly no time at all they were outside the recreation rooms, and Tsunami was standing there waiting for them. The blue haired goddess was picking Shoji up again. Ryoko stopped, much to Kiyone's relief, and touched down beside her. "Okay?"

               Tsunami nodded and raised one finger. "Just wait a moment please Ryoko."

               They waited, Ayeka and Sasami soon appearing. "Well? Come on! We gotta..."

               *BANG* *BANG* *BANG* *BANG*

               Ryoko, Kiyone and Ayeka jumped and tried to steady themselves as the explosions shook the floor, one following another following another.

               Tenchi and the others had arrived, each with their weapons ready at the sound, to see Sasami and Tsunami standing either side of the door and Ayeka and Ryoko crouching low by the walls, Kiyone hanging onto Ryoko with her head hidden in the other woman's mass of cyan hair. Then, as suddenly as they started the explosions stopped and everyone looked around carefully.

               "What was that?" Ryoko asked.

               Tsunami opened the door and walked in, followed by Sasami. "I thought that it would be preferable to destroy the arachnids here before they all activated. There was a control panel over there that already had the access code inputted, so I activated the self destruct on each of them."

               The others cautiously stepped inside to see the large wasted corridor. The walls were blasted and the floor covered in twisted metal. Smoke billowed out of each of the rooms and Mihoshi stuck her head into one of them to check it out. "Wow, you really blew them up Tsunami. It's all junk!"

               Nagi looked over to the curious blonde as she popped her head into the other rooms, confirming that they were all very much destroyed. "Already a code punched in?" She looked over to Ayeka. "I see what you mean."

               Ayeka nodded in resignation. "Sometimes I think Washu really isn't joking when she says Mihoshi_ is a genius. She just doesn't know it."_

               "Come on," said Washu as she marched through, "where now?"

               Kiyone guided them through the rest of the way completely unhindered by any more of the security machines, which left both her and Washu very disturbed by the time they reached the large blast doors that led to the final leg of the run.

               "I guess they expect that the photon cannon here will be enough of a defence. It's absolutely huge!" said Kiyone.

               "Another ambush?" asked Ryoko, remembering the last one. "I think we can handle that." She summoned three energy bolts in her hand, each spinning round the others like electrons in a non-existent atom.

               Washu shook her head. "Too many vital systems for zippers here if the control room is through there. It won't be able to fire in that direction either, so that gives us an edge."

               "Maybe they're all waiting for us at the Yukinojo," offered Tenchi.

               "Possibly, but not all of them. There should be at least a small guard at each vital system point, and here is no exception."

               "Well," said Ayeka, "I suppose we can run for it. You two managed last time."

               Kiyone took a handful of her hair and showed them. The ends were fused together where the cannon had fired at them last time they had tried. "Only just made it, and the blast door on the other side will probably be closed if the ship is on high alert."

               "Why not just teleport to the next corridor?" asked Tenchi. "You could do that, right Ryoko? You and Tsunami could carry us."

               The others looked at him blankly for a second, trying to find the fault with such a ridiculously simple plan.

               Washu blinked. "Good idea. It's times like this you remind me why I like you Tenchi-chan!"

               Ryoko stalked up and grabbed his arm. "Oi, back off 'Mum'."

               "Oh, Ryoko, there are some gun turrets on the others side," Mihoshi piped in. "We destroyed them, but they might have gotten repaired, or the spider-robot-things might still be there."

               "Thanks, but two gems means 'don't mess with Ryoko'!" the ex-pirate replied, grinning.

               Nagi held up Kiyone's electro-plasma rifle. "Think you can use this?"

               Kiyone took one hand from around Ryoko and held it out to catch the weapon Nagi threw her. She caught it and balanced it over Ryoko's shoulder, checking the sight from where she held on. "Ready. I'm not sure how big the room is, but it's big."

               "Don't worry," said Tsunami, "it will be about the same size as the one we encountered." She looked down to Sasami. "Hold onto me Sasami-chan." The young girl nodded and wrapped her arms around the taller woman's middle. 

               The next second both Tsunami and Ryoko disappeared with the slight *whzzumph* that had become a common sound in the past several years and they reappeared in the other hallway several feet from the blast door, their passengers immediately dropping into ready stances.

               The gun turrets at the other end of the short hall were now no more than small metal stumps, evidently having been removed, but there was nothing by way of replacements.

               "Okay," said Ryoko, lowering Kiyone carefully to the floor. "We'll get the others."

               She vanished again, and Tsunami did the same after handing Shoji to Tenchi.

               They re-appeared with the others a moment later, but with one notable exception. "Hey," said Sasami, being the first one to notice, "where's Nagi-san?"

               Tsunami looked over to Ryoko, who stepped back making warding gestures when she saw the look. "No way, I'm not taking her! She's spent her life hunting me remember?"

               Tsunami chuckled lightly and nodded. "I see. Just a second."

               She teleported out, then returned with Nagi who merely nodded to her. "Thanks." As she walked past her Ryoko could have sworn that the bounty hunter had given her a cold glare, but nobody else seemed to notice. It still made her stomach turn though. She stepped back over to Kiyone and picked her up again, following the others.

               "That's the control room," Kiyone said as they approached the other door.

               At the head of the party Ayeka walked though the opened door and stepped into the room. Suddenly she saw the arachnids and dived for cover behind one of the rings of computers as she was met by a ream of blaster fire. "Watch out! There's three of them!"

               The others scattered and got their weapons out, taking cover behind the doorway and computer banks as the first shots were fired. This was one fight they couldn't avoid. Ryoko was the first to make a move, flying straight up and slinging two force bolts at the machines as Kiyone took a shot from her perch on her back. Kiyone caught the first machine right in the chest, vaporising a layer of armour and causing the smaller arms there to twitch as the spiralling electro-magnetic containment balls hit. Ryoko's blasts though, rather than scoring the armour or ripping open the joints she had aimed for, punched straight through, tearing the two main limbs off.

               "Alright!" She crowed, and she would have done a victory loop if Kiyone hadn't been hanging onto her. 

               Kiyone made another shot, this time stripping the armour away completely and exposing the area she now knew the processor to be. Ryoko fired off another two handfuls of energy, tearing into the lower torso and exposing the complicated mechanics.

               Kiyone's third shot was off target, but one of the electro-magnetic balls hit close enough to shut it down. Ryoko formed her sword and touched down next to the immobile machine. 

               "That's strange," said Kiyone. "It didn't even get to fight back."

               "Well, I got it's guns off," said Ryoko happily, making pincer gestures in the air. She was even more powerful with two gems than she remembered. That prison floor must have been seriously strong stuff! She swung down and hacked into the machine, just to make sure.

               To the surprise of both of them Sasami bounded up to them with a broad smile on her face. "I helped too!" she said, striking a very cute pose. She then extended her arms and the machine slid across the floor, Sasami's force field having no problem moving the immobile mass.

               Kiyone smiled "Thanks Sasmai-chan. I though it was a sitting duck."

               Sasami beamed back. "You should see what Tsunami is doing!"

               The pair looked over to the sound of sparking where they had assumed the others were battling. Everyone stood back from Tsunami who had her hands raised in fists, each in the direction of one of the machines, which were floating five feet off the floor, arms and legs flailing wildly as their bodies smoked and sparked. Ayeka's headpiece was glowing faintly and when the body of the left hand machine exploded they could see she was protecting the others with her force shield. The other flailed for a few more seconds before going limp and Tsunami let both fall to the floor with a massive crash.

               Nagi looked around at the others. They were all going about what they were supposed to do next. Washu was already busy breaking into the ship's computer systems and the others were laying Shoji and Kiyone on the floor to rest. Kiyone was about ready to fall asleep from exhaustion after having to hang onto Ryoko.

               All Nagi could do was look at Tsunami. She was only the second person who had *ever* managed to instil awe in her and it showed, her normally expressionless face breaking into sheer astonishment. "He... he was right. You are Tsunami. T-*The* Tsunami!"

               Tsunami looked over from where she was stroking Kiyone's hair, lulling the detective into a pained sleep. "I know you are not a religious woman Nagi, so please do not feel you have to do anything. I am only what you perceive me to be."

               Nagi swallowed and tried to regain her composure. "R-right." She paused for a second. "If I may ask..."

               "I can," Tsunami replied, answering before the question was made, "but I will not. I believe elaboration would be better given at another time."

               Nagi nodded, feeling strangely at peace for the first time in a very long time.

               "People, we have a problem."

               Everyone turned. "That doesn't really inspire confidence here Washu," Ryoko tried to quip, but it fell flat under the weight of the statement.

               "What is it Washu-chan?" asked Ayeka seriously.

               Washu turned to them. "I can't do anything about Shoji from here. Give me time and I can get the security system down, but whatever's being sent to him isn't coming from here. It's in sub-space, and it's too risky to go with all the interference here. I don't know what's causing that yet, so there's nothing I can do."

               "Can you free Ken-ohki?" Nagi asked. "I know where they are but they aren't getting fresh air any more, and the schematic said that if that's the case then they're getting sedatives or something else instead. I don't want to wait to find out how much of it can kill a cabbit."

               "Ryo-chan!" Sasami exclaimed, remembering her kidnapped friend. In all the confusion and action she had forgotten she would be trapped here too.

               To the surprise of everyone there Mihoshi was the first to volunteer for her role. "I'm staying with Kiyone and Shoji. Someone needs to stay to guard them right? And it's my fault they're both in trouble."

               Washu nodded, a little heartened by her show of loyalty. "Yeah, and I need to deal with the security. We'll be able to take anything that wanders in."

               Tsunami stepped forward. "I can get to sub-space if you give me the location, but I am getting rather tired. I haven't exerted myself like this for a long time. I will take one other, but that's it, and I can't ensure that we will be able to get back until I have regained my energy."

               "Okay, let's go and get Shoji-san back to normal," said Sasami enthusiastically.

               Tsunami looked down to her apologetically. "I'm sorry Sasami-chan, but I will be taking Tenchi. You have to stay here and help the others this time."

               Sasami's heart sank. "What? B-but..."

               "Sasami, this may be very dangerous and if I need to fight I'll need Tenchi-dono's help. I'm not used to doing so much in so little time like this. You have to stay here and help rescue Ryo-ohki. She needs you now."

               Sasami nodded. "Tenchi nii-chan?"

               "Yes Sasami-chan?"

               "Be careful."

               Tenchi smiled and gave her a hug. "Sure. You too." After a moment she let him go and he walked over to Tsunami, who laid a hand on his shoulder.

               "Are you ready Tenchi?" 

               He nodded and held up the Tenchi-ken. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

               Washu handed Tsunami an electronic tablet with the information she had downloaded from the ship's computers. "Here's where the lab should be. No map, but there's supply inventories, so you should know the kind of things you'll find. There's also instructions on how to disable whatever is sending him... whatever signal he's under the influence of. Also, make sure you find out exactly what it is he's being sent and any schematics for that armour he's got on. I'll need them."

               The goddess nodded and both she and Tenchi vanished. Washu looked over at the other four. "You guys head for the cabbits. I'll find out what they're being given and work up an antidote when we get back."

               Nagi nodded and headed back out of the room. Ryoko and Ayeka looked at each other, then at Sasami. 

               "Are you ready Sasami?" Ayeka asked.

               Sasami nodded, smiling at the pair and the three of them followed Nagi.

               Mihoshi sighed and sat down in front of the sleeping Kiyone and unconscious Shoji.

               Washu turned back to her console and started typing again. "Mihoshi, one thing."

               "Yes Washu-chan?"

               "Don't touch the computers."

***

               It was surprisingly dark when Tenchi opened his eyes. He could still feel Tsunami's hand on his shoulder but he never liked phasing anywhere with his eyes open. It was too disorientating.

               "Tenchi-dono, we have arrived."

               Tsunami looked around. "I can feel this place. Come, I can guide us where we need to go."

               Tenchi blinked, trying to adjust his eyes to the low light. In fact it was low enough for him to see Tsunami's slight glow, usually hidden in the day by even the lowest sunlight. "I guess he didn't expect you to end up here."

               Tsunami nodded. "Indeed not. I can navigate us through the hallways, and I think I can feel the place that we need to be."

               She started to walk off and Tenchi raised his hand to stop her. "Tsunami, can we wait a second? I can't see very well in here."

               Tsunami turned round surprised. "Oh, of course. I'm sorry. I did not think of that. When you are ready we should go though. I estimate there is about a mile between us and the device."

               Tenchi drooped. "A mile!? We'll never make it in time!"

               Tsunami smiled. "In time for what? In sub-space time is only as fast as the pocket's creator wants it to be. Washu's lab runs on Earth time for convenience, but here I would estimate we have about two hours before we need to finish our task. Hopefully we should be back in about thirty minutes in their time on the ship, while I will have enough time to rest here once we are done."

               Tenchi chuckled. "That's rather convenient."

               Tsunami nodded. "While I am not a scientist I understand the logic. You can finish several days' worth of experiments in only a few hours. For example, creating a cure for a poison or a stabiliser for a hazardous device would be very easy even in the most urgent of situations."

               "Yeah, so if something goes wrong it's easily fixed. Makes sense." Tenchi looked around again. He could now see the piping that made up the walls and the various machines that lay dormant around the room. "Okay, lets go."

               The two of them headed out of the workroom. "I don't like this guy's sense of aesthetics though," Tenchi commented.

               "Neither do I," Tsunami replied. "I have always preferred somewhere green myself."

***

               Washu was soon broken out of her work when a massive explosion shook the room, almost throwing her off her feet. "What the hell..?"

               {Sorry Washu,} Ryoko thought-cast to her, her emotional signal a little frazzled, {we forgot about that cannon. We're all okay though.}

               {Be more careful!} Washu sent back. {Just don't get killed. Any of you. The system's heavily A.I. controlled, so they'll know where you are now.}

               {Right, thanks for the tip. See you soon.}

               Washu sat back and sighed. "That girl."

               Mihoshi looked up at her from her seat by the two sleeping, and partially sedated, casualties. "What happened Washu-chan?"

               Washu rolled her eyes. "Just my daughter leaping before she looks again."

               She didn't get any further when another explosion hit, this time sending her to the floor in mid step. {RYOKO!}

               {It wasn't me, it wasn't me! We didn't do anything, I swear!} Ryoko sent back frantically.

               {Then why is it still firing!?}

               Ryoko paused for a bit, evidently talking to someone before answering {It's just shooting through the walls at us. It can't get us though. We're out of its firing path.}

               There was another explosion and Washu held onto her console to stay upright. {Then just get out of the area. I can't work if it's going to keep up like this!}

               {Right. We're going.}

               Washu sat down to wait for the next explosion.

               *THOOM*

               Five minutes later she was still sitting there.

               "Three... Two... One..."

               *THOOM*

               "So what do you think the computer wants to do Washu-chan?" Mihoshi asked conversationally.

               "Well, if it keeps this up it'll breach the hull, and we'll all have to get out pretty quick. Maybe the A.I. figures that'll be easier than trying to kill us with robots."

               "Well why doesn't it just shoot us here? It wouldn't take very long."

               Washu sighed. "Because, Mihoshi-dono, we are practically sitting in its brain. If it shoots us it destroys itself, so it can't make sure we're dead. If it has to kill us all it has to survive to make sure it did its job."

               "Oh." Mihoshi watched as Washu picked up Kiyone's electro-plasma rifle again and carried on tinkering with it. "What are you doing with Kiyone's gun?"

               "Well," Washu said around the pocket multi-tool in her mouth, "If we came up against any more mechanicals the EM generator in this thing will be more effective than the plasma if I can re-configure it to use that as its main attack. I just need to up the power."

               "Oh. Why aren't you trying to stop the gun on the computer though?"

               "Fighting for control against an A.I. isn't easy without all my stuff, and I'd have to stop every time that thing shoots so I don't hit a wrong key. It wouldn't be worth the effort."

               Mihoshi nodded "Right."

               Washu looked at her squarely. "You didn't understand a word I just said did you? Three... Two... One..."

               *THOOM*

               "Not really. I'm sure you do though, so that's okay." She lay back on the floor. "Do you think Shoji will run away again when he wakes up?"

               "Who knows," Washu commented idly. "I figure the alpha wave machine played some part in that, but you can't really tell."

               "I hope he doesn't." Mihoshi ran her fingers through her hair. "I still like him."

               Washu chuckled. "Even though he nearly killed you?"

               Mihoshi sat up. "That wasn't his fault though, right? You said so yourself. He was really sweet back home."

               Washu sighed again. "He was a prat. But I guess he did have his heart in the right place."

               "Mmm hmm." Mihoshi nodded.

               They sat in silence for a while, only punctuated by the progressively more muffled booms of the photon blasts as they ripped into another wall or floor.

               "Washu, are we going to die? I don't want to die yet." Mihoshi seemed oddly calm about it.

               Washu looked up in surprise. "Huh?"

               "We beat the bad guy, so we're supposed to have a happy ending right? I don't think this is a happy ending."

               "We're not going to die bubble brain."

               Mihoshi gave Washu a sad look and bit her lip. "I'm sorry. I don't mean to be stupid."

               Oh nuts, thought Washu. Way to go genius.

               "Hey, don't cry," she said in a motherly tone, setting the gun in her lap. "I didn't mean it."

               "But I am," said Mihoshi. "Everybody says so."

               Washu smiled. "Shoji didn't. And we're not going to die."

               Mihoshi perked up a bit. "He didn't. He's just an Earthling though."

               Washu actually giggled at that. "Exactly. He won't even know how to work that control cube of yours, so I don't think you have anything to worry about."

               Mihoshi started giggling too. "He didn't! He really didn't at all!"

               Washu smiled to herself. Crisis averted.

               *THOOM*

               Mihoshi looked up. "How many more walls do you think there are Washu-chan?"

               "Enough, I hope." The diminutive red-head gave the gun a last prod, shut the circuitry panel and started re-assembling it.

               "Enough for what?" Mihoshi asked bemusedly.

               "Enough for us to shut down that thing." Washu glanced at the computer console again. Five more bulkheads to go before a breach. They would be cutting it close. She got to her feet and headed over to the door, the gun in her hands. "Come on Mihoshi-dono. This is a two girl job."

               Mihoshi nodded and followed her "Okay."

               They stopped at the blast door and Washu motioned for them to wait.

               *THOOM*

               Washu flicked the catch to charge the gun. "Right, we've got two minutes." She handed Mihoshi the rifle. "On my signal run to the other side of the room and fire at the catch on the side of the cannon just behind the loading mechanism. I'll cut the sensor coils." She hit the door activation button. "Go!"

               The pair ducked under the opening doors and dashed into position, Washu in the near corner with an energy bolt in her hands and Mihoshi by the far door. The cannon never moved from position as they took their shots. Washu managed to take out the lower sensors but Mihoshi's target was obscured by the loading shield and the blue-white pulse blast splashed harmlessly against it. It did however short out the communications relays. Unfortunately that wasn't a good thing.

               *THOOM*

               The twin blasts of photon energy tore down the massive hole in the far wall and into the next bulkhead, leaving nothing but a twisted smoking hole where it hit.

               Washu panicked. It must get its timing information from the main computer. With no communications it's firing at full rate! "Mihoshi! There's only three more walls left! Take it out quick!"

               Washu had expected the gun to target them the minute they came in, hence her choice to go for the sensors. Evidently the computer had other ideas. She would have abandoned the idea right then if Mihoshi's scream hadn't caught her attention.

               "WASHU-CHAN HELP ME!" the detective cried as she hurtled across the room and dove behind a stack of metal crates, a continuous stream of bullets at her heels.

               Washu looked up to the cannon and saw her target. On the underside was a small housing, the gatling gun spinning full tilt as it tried to shoot its way through Mihoshi's cover.

               *THOOM*

               Washu phased up under the cannon and let herself drop, releasing another energy bolt as the gun came round to target her. She was too busy remembering to phase back to the floor to avoid the single bullet that almost parted her hair before the gun exploded.

               Washu re-appeared next to Mihoshi as she cowered behind the crate. "Mihoshi, go. Two more walls left."

               Mihoshi nodded and rolled out from behind the crate, targeting the firing mechanism catch. "Washu! It's covered again!"

               "Then shoot it when it isn't!"

               The loading shield snapped forward as another photon blast rocketed through the ship and Mihoshi pulled the trigger. The almost transparent electro-magnetic pulse blast hit the catch and the cannon's firing mechanism ceased to function as one by one its systems shut down. Mihoshi breathed a sigh of relief and Washu patted her on the shoulder. "Whew, that was fun!"

               "That was a bit scary Washu-chan," Mihoshi said, evidently relieved to have it over with.

               Washu grinned broadly. "Well, now I can start getting that security system down properly. Let's go Mihoshi-dono."

               Mihoshi nodded tiredly. "Okay."

               Washu pulled up the metal stool and sat back down at the console in the control room. "Now, let's get you offline shall we?"

               Mihoshi spent the next minute watching Shoji and Kiyone sleep while Washu worked. It was surprisingly peaceful and she was managing a yawn herself when she noticed Washu tense up. "Hey Washu-chan, what's wrong?"

               Washu's hands flew over the keyboard as she tried to separate the voice in her head from Mihoshi's. {Ryoko, what is it?}

               {SHUT IT DOWN! TURN OFF THE ROBOTS!} Washu nearly blanked out when Ryoko radiated a massive surge of pain over the link. 

               "Don't worry Ryoko, Mummy's nearly done," she muttered to herself through her nerves. {Ryoko, which ones? They're all on separate systems. Ryoko... RYOKO!}

               Washu was near panic again when Ryoko came back in. {WASHU WE NEED HELP HERE! TURN THEM OFF ALREADY!}

               Washu frantically searched through the database for what she needed. She couldn't try to hack into every automaton control system as fast as Ryoko wanted. "Mihoshi, shoot that computer!"

               Mihoshi blinked in confusion. "But what..."

               "JUST SHOOT IT!"

               In a flash Mihoshi aimed the rifle and let fly at the computer, watching all the lights on that side of the room go out as the pulse passed through them.

               Washu's eyes flew back to her monitor, thanking the goddess that the gun was directional. She watched as all the code for the A.I. and automaton systems was blanked.

               {All done Ryoko. Are you all okay? Ryoko?.. RYOKO!}

***

               Ryoko walked almost bouncily after Nagi as they left the control room. As critical as the situation seemed she couldn't help thinking that it was over already now that everyone seemed to be handling it. And she was going to see Ryo-ohki again! Ryoko would never have admitted it, but she had been very, very disturbed that she couldn't sense her partner any more. That however was about to be remedied.

               Nagi stood by the blast doors waiting for the rest of them, expressionless as usual. Nagi was another mystery to her, one she was starting to ponder as she headed through the door.

               "RYOKO! THE GUN!"

               Ryoko span round to face Ayeka with a worried expression and she heard the cannon whirr round. "Crap, come on!"

               Ryoko grabbed the princesses in one arm and Nagi in the other as she teleported out. The cannon's blast struck just in front of the blast doors, its programming not allowing it to fire any closer to the control room, but it would have been enough to kill had they still been there.

               They appeared again in the opposite hallway, the twisted door that had already been blasted offering no protection for them as the cannon turned again. They made a quick dash to get out of its sensor range.

               "You *idiot*! You stupid *moron*!" Nagi growled, agitated at Ryoko's blatant lack of concern.

               "Ryoko, how on Earth could you have forgotten that thing?" Ayeka asked, rather calmly considering she had almost been roasted.

               "Hey I'm sorry, I..." Ryoko stopped when Washu's enquiring mind started to come across the link, rather put out at having her work interrupted.

               {Sorry Washu,} Ryoko thought to her, deciding that owning up was better than the Washu inquisition, {we forgot about that cannon. We're all okay though.}

               {Be more careful!} Washu's concern was clear in her reply. {Just don't get killed. Any of you. The system's heavily A.I. controlled, so they'll know where you are now.}

               {Right, thanks for the tip. See you soon.} "Washu says we need to go. The ship knows where we are."

               "Terrific," Ayeka deadpanned. They started off down the corridor when another blast ripped into the wall behind them.

               "What the HELL?"

               {RYOKO!}

               Ryoko shut her eyes to try and stop the ringing in her ears as she desperately pleaded her innocence. The others decided to drag her round the corner to finish up her internal argument just in case.

               Ryoko looked back down the corridor. "I don't think it would have hit us, would it?" It was clear the blast would have missed them, so the cannon must just be using their last known position and hoping for the best.

               Nagi tapped her sword impatiently as Ryoko finished her conversation. This kind of irresponsibility was going to get her killed if they didn't start being professional about the already dangerous situation.

               A few seconds later Ryoko spoke again. "Washu says we need to get out of here."

               "Then let's go," Sasami said, a little shaken, but not in the least bit perturbed by their close call.

               The quartet walked in silence as Nagi led them through the bowels of the ship, the air heavy with subdued animosity. Sasami looked at them as they walked. The emotion was almost palpable to her.

               "Ryoko nee-chan, it's okay. Everyone makes mistakes, right?"

               Ryoko snorted. "Yeah, my whole life's just one big mistake."

               "Ryoko nee-chan!"

               Ayeka muttered something under her breath, but the others didn't hear. She silently swore to herself that she wouldn't let Ryoko get her angry again. There had been too much of that already, but her self-deprecating mood really got to her. Ayeka saw more of that side of her than anyone else. But right at this minute what did Ryoko have to be depressed about? If anything she herself should be the depressed one, after everything that had happened.

               "Be quiet Ryoko-san," she said with restraint. "No-one is hurt and we are near the end of our assignment. This is not the time for your little bouts of self-condemnation."

               Ryoko was ready with a rebuttal, but the look in Sasami's eyes kept her quiet. It wouldn't do any good. It never did.

               At the front of the party Nagi tried to reign in her own annoyance. "Keep your mind on the task ahead. Screw up again and I'll leave you behind."

               Ayeka rounded on the bounty hunter. "And then what? You need us more than we need you right now Nagi-san. It is blatantly obvious your weapon is not up to the task here. Added to the fact you were working for this maniac I can say that you have made a great deal bigger mistake here than any of us, wouldn't you?"

               Ayeka wasn't expecting the punch that caught her across the jaw. Nagi's fist connected with strength that her usual demeanour concealed, especially with the cloak she always wore.

               "ONEE-SAMA!" 

               Sasami rushed up to her sister where she sat on the floor, the blow having knocked her off her feet. Ayeka looked up at the bounty hunter in disbelief, and Ryoko ignited her energy sword, bearing her teeth. "Why you.."

               Nagi looked at them both, a hint of anger in her face. "Don't think you're special just because you're a princess. I could have killed any one of you in an instant. Make no mistake, I am not a member of your little 'Earther' group, and I have no love for your people, princess."

               "But you're a Juraian." Ayeka said in confusion. "You've even been given the warrior's mark." She touched the twin black spikes across her own cheeks, given by her armour. Nagi had hers permanently, although only on the one side.

               Each of the four spikes meant something different. Fighter, protector, crusader and killer. Each denoted the duty the soldier had taken. They didn't mean anything more than respect and cosmetic achievement in this day and age, but no-one was given them permanently any more except for the most revered of warriors. The fighter was a soldier, called into battle for the greater good. The protector would lay down their life for their family, friends and people. The crusader would fight alone for the just cause. The killer would use lethal force because sometimes there was no other option.

               Ayeka looked her right in the eyes, a sad look in her own. "What was your crusade Nagi, and who died for it?"

               Nagi's facade slipped a little, and it was enough to keep Ryoko from charging. She turned away from them and continued walking. "Don't talk nonsense."

               Ayeka got to her feet and looked after her, wondering what her story really was. She had a feeling she might never find out.

               She took her sister's hand and started to follow. "Come on Imouto-chan, let's find Ryo-ohki."

               Ryoko looked after them all, utterly confused as to what had just happened. Ayeka had touched her battle stripes, and Nagi had evaded the question she had asked about it. Ryoko felt the solid black that covered the far right of her face. She'd never thought anything of it before. After all, it was just a part of the outfit.

*** 

               Nagi stopped outside the door. "In here." It was the first thing she had said since they had had the argument.

               Ryoko nodded and summoned her energy sword as Nagi activated her whip and the princesses put up their force fields.

               Ryoko phased straight through the wall as Ayeka went through he door, ready for whatever guards there would be outside the cabbits' prison. It was a fairly small room by the edge of the ship, portholes showing the space outside. A single automaton stood by the opposite door, looking like a spindly tripod with three segmented arms sprouting from its small body.

               The second Ayeka got into the room it quickly scampered several steps forward and one of its arms shot towards her, extending out of the body like a metal bullwhip and smashing against her force field. To the side Ryoko shot one of her force bolts at it, blasting off one of the ridiculously thin legs as it came up to 'catch' the orange ball. However, it seemed perfectly capable of standing on two legs and shot out its other two whips at Ryoko, cracking one just in front of her as she flew backwards and snagging the other around her leg and throwing her to the floor. Behind them both Sasami and Nagi rushed in. The young girl immediately cringed backwards and caught the end of one of the whips as it flew towards her, while Nagi wrapped her whip around the machine's other two legs and yanked it off its feet.

               The fall didn't seem to affect the machine one bit as it shot one of the legs out on another retractable tentacle and grabbed Nagi's weapon. Sasami had hold of two of the tentacle whips but couldn't really do much more than that, while Ayeka had the third whip in her field and was wresting it away from Ryoko. Once she had it she summoned her combat logs and wrapped them around the body of the machine as they extended to an almost rope like form, trapping the other leg against the body. Nagi managed to blast a hole through the leg that had her, but Ryoko was just glad all the limbs were busy as she hurled two more force bolts at it, shattering the machine's armour casing. After that a swift energy slash with her sword and the machine was no more, the tentacles falling limp where the others held them. 

               After a quick victory cheer they headed through to release the cabbits. What they saw was quite a shock. Far from being gassed or sedated to a premature end the pair were both being held behind the same barrier, sharing a bowl of carrots!

               Ryoko looked at the pair rather non-plussed "Well, doesn't this just take the cake?"

               Sasami ran right up to the force barrier they were behind and dropped to her knees, ecstatic to see her cabbit friend again. "Ryo-chan! You're okay!"

               Ryo-ohki nodded and bounded up to her. "Miya, miya miya."

               Sasami giggled at the clearly affirmative response and looked over to Ayeka who was by a control panel on the wall.

               As soon as the field came down Ryo-ohki leaped into Sasami's waiting arms for a huge hug, then clambered up onto her head. The pair looked thoroughly adorable, even with Sasami in her armour, and the others couldn't help but smile.

               "Nice to see you fur ball," Ryoko said as she radiated relief across the link, and Ryo-ohki did the same.

               Ken-ohki walked up to Nagi and sat at her feet. "Chau."

               Nagi nodded. "I hope you behaved like a gentleman."

               "Chau, chau."

               Nagi allowed herself a smile, which in turn cause Sasami's to broaden. "Good. Let's go."

               As the now much happier party turned to leave something caught Ayeka's eye. "What's that?" She said walking over to a small metal plaque lying on the floor behind where the barrier had been.

               Ryo-ohki miya'd and leaped off Sasami's head, picking the plaque up in her mouth. She walked back to the others and offered it to Ryoko. On it was a rather cute little engraving of Ryo-ohki and Ken-ohki together, along with the words 'Well done.'

               "I wonder who did it," Ayeka mused. Nagi was brought up short though.

               "Someone else on the ship. We found their quarters. It was covered in engravings like this, but most of you," she said indicating to Ryoko. "I'd forgotten about that. It's on our way back to the control room. Whoever it is is obsessed with you. That 'daughter' Taishi mentioned."

               Ryoko nodded. "I... dealt with her already."

               At hearing this Ryo-ohki's ears drooped. "Miya?" she asked sadly.

               Ryoko nodded. "She was a bad guy, remember?"

               "Miya miya!"

               "I don't *care*!" Ryoko almost shouted back. "She was the bad guy!"

               Ken-ohki looked at Nagi a little sadly. "Chau chau?"

               Nagi looked back down, a little critical. "Don't tell me your going soft."

               Ken-ohki shook his head in denial. "Chau! Chau chiau chau."

               Ayeka raised an eyebrow and Nagi translated for her. Cabbit language was after all as much mental with their partner as it was verbal. "He wants to go see this 'metal lady'. Apparently she cared for them while here."

               Ryoko sighed. "The combat arena. She's in the combat arena. Provided those machines haven't carted her away yet."

               It took several minutes to get back to the arena, and Ryoko was unusually quiet during the trip. Nagi was like she always was, stoic and analytical, but underneath that she was curious as to who this 'metal lady' was, and why she should have had such an effect on Ryoko. The pirate had never had a problem with killing before. Sasami walked along behind them, chatting (as best as one can chat) with the cabbits who trotted along side by side with her. Ayeka was as intrigued as Nagi, but for several different reasons. She knew Ryoko would have had a problem with killing if they were the right kind of person, and it seemed that this one was.

               The arena was just as Ryoko remembered it, except now including the odd hole or scotch mark for her battle. And near the centre lay Syren, almost completely undisturbed. She lay in a now dry pool where she and Ryoko had been taken down. The only difference was that her head had been put back above her neck. From their distance it was impossible to tell she had been beheaded.

               The others walked in, but Ryoko stood by the door, holding her own arm uncomfortably. She didn't want to go back in there. She wasn't ready to accept or even think about the things Syren had wanted her to. Syren had been the villain. Syren had attacked her. She couldn't_ let herself see it any other way._

               Ryo-ohki padded softly up to the mechanical body and nudged the machine's cheek, or the raised area where the cheek would have been. Syren's head didn't move. Had it done so it might have been even more disturbing for the others.

               Ayeka looked at her not really understanding what she was looking at. A metal woman who lost a duel. She had to wonder what its personality must have been like to stop Ryoko from approaching.

               Nagi was very detached about the whole thing, and Ken-ohki was the same. Neither had really known the machine, if it was in fact one you could get to know. It was dead, and that was all there was to it. Ken-ohki only felt for her because Ryo-ohki obviously did and he was very fond of her. More than he knew he should be.

               Sasami's reaction was in stark contrast to the other two. She was positively terrified. All she could see was her sister, standing above the corpse of a Juraian woman, but as she turned around she was enveloped in a blue glow, and her face was missing. Her dream. Her nightmare.

               "She has no face. She has no face!"

               Ayeka turned to her sister in confusion. "Sasami? What's wrong?"

               Sasami's eyes snapped wide open as she suddenly looked at her sister, "She... my dream... You were like..." Then she ran forward into her sister's arms, tears streaming down her face. "Onee-sama!"

               The pair stood for a while, Ayeka having no idea why the machine should have such an effect on the young girl. But she is only a young girl. She hasn't seen a body before, except when Yuzuha took Mayuka's life. I suppose this counts, and if she had a dream about her as well...

               "It's okay Imouto-chan. It's okay, she can't do anything to us now."

               The pair stood like that for a while, Sasami crying out all the fear she had held since the dream, combined with the adrenaline of her first ever combat role.

               It was Ryoko who broke the scene when she heard a clack from behind her, followed by another, and another. She whirled around to be met with the pincer blast of an arachnid machine as it closed in, another three following behind it. She cursed and threw an energy bolt at it, blowing off the front of its head armour, then teleported to the centre of the room. "We've got company! Get out of here!"

               The others all prepared for battle even as they ran for the other exit, but were met by more machines coming in, several of which were types they had not encountered before.

               "This is not good," Ayeka said, summoning both her force field and her combat logs.

               "Understatement of the century!" said Ryoko. She summoned another three energy bolts and squashed them down, sending them spinning around each other before firing them off into the hoard. 

               It soon became apparent however, that they would not be able to fight them all off. They just kept coming.

               Ryoko did the only thing she could think of: she opened her link with Washu. {Washu shut down the security systems! We're in trouble here.}

               Ryoko was horrified to find she didn't get an answer. 

               The first wave reached them. Ayeka sent her logs spinning in a tight circle around herself, smashing into the machines as Sasami slashed her knuckle blade into an arachnid, trying to join her sister. The young girl hung on for her life as the machine bucked, trying to throw her off and into the mass of metal. Nagi scooped the screaming girl up as she hurtled past, slashing madly with her whip as she forged her way through to join the older princess in the safety of her force field.

               Ryo-ohki and Ken-ohki had taken to the air and Ryo-ohki was firing her energy balls into the mass of machines, but there was so little she could do against so many.

               {SHUT IT DOWN! TURN OFF THE ROBOTS!} Ryoko was too pre-occupied to avoid the blaster shots that screamed towards her as she took off and she hurtled back to the floor as her they hit home, burning into her back and legs. 

               Nagi saw her fall and leaped out of the shield to scoop her up, only to have a claw smash into her back and force her to the ground. {WASHU WE NEED HELP HERE!} Ryoko screamed across the link as she was crushed under the weight of both Nagi and the machine pressing down on Nagi's back as it held her down for a shot {TURN THEM OFF ALREADY!}

               Ryoko phased out and behind the machine, cutting into it with her sword, but that just left her open for the others behind her to fire. She watched astonished as the blaster fire took Nagi in the side as she swung Ryoko around. The shot she deflected with her sword would have caught the ex-pirate in the head.

               The bounty hunter collapsed and Ryoko summoned more energy bolts, ready for a final stand when the machines, as one, collapsed, as though someone had flicked an almighty off switch. 

               That actually wasn't far from the truth. 

               Ayeka and Sasami looked around them, two standing figures amongst a mass of seemingly dead machinery. They separated and both rushed to Ryoko as she collapsed in exhaustion next to Nagi who was painfully trying to get to her feet.

               "Ryoko, Nagi are you all right?"

               "Yeah yeah, I'm fine Mum. It's okay." Ryoko mumbled painfully, trying to soothe the panic-stricken voice in her head.

               Ayeka tried to get Nagi to stay still as Sasami helped Ryoko to her feet. {No Mum, I told you we're fine. We'll come to you. Nagi's going to need medical help though.}

               The woman in question shrugged off Ayeka's hand and got to her own feet, her hand holding her side where the worst of the damage had been done. "I'm fine, I've taken worse than this from Ryoko."

               Ryoko looked surprised as she turned her gaze to the bounty hunter. "I thought they really got you there," she said as she limped up to her. 

               Nagi walked past her to the door. "Remember Ryoko, you owe me now."

               Ryoko looked after her. Yeah, I guess I do. Those shots could have killed me.

               Slowly Ryoko followed her, and Sasami rushed after them, asking every now and then if they were all right and whether they wanted to stop for a bit.

               Ayeka was having thoughts along the same line as Ryoko's. She had seen Nagi go down. They might have killed Ryoko, but they should have killed you too. They can't all have been glancing shots can they? You're a lucky woman Nagi.

               She slowly walked after the trio and back to a very expectant Washu.

***

               Tenchi's feet were beginning to ache as he and Tsunami rounded the last of the corners. "This place is a labyrinth," he commented, a little weary. He knew that they had taken at least one wrong turn, even with Tsunami's supernatural clairvoyance and they must have been going for well over two hours now.

               "My apologies Tenchi, I believe we are almost there." She was right as well. Tsunami hadn't taken any wrong turns. At least not ones she hadn't meant to take. There are some things even a goddess does not want to do. 

               She opened the final door with a flick of her wrist and entered, Tenchi ready beside her with his weapon once again drawn. The room was small and completely empty except for the computers along the walls and a large humming generator in the centre. Tsunami smiled. "We are here."

               She walked calmly up to the computer by the generator's side and placed her hands on it. She had used the time on their walk to revise Washu's notes, so she knew exactly what she needed to do. Her consciousness wriggled its way into the machine, exploring pathways and conduits as it made its way in, looking for everything she needed. The data banks with Taishi's mental disruption experiments, the lists of proposed buyers for the cabbit technology, even his collection of Juraian political secrets. She read them all, memorising them so she could transfer them to the data pad Washu had given her. Then she erased the originals. Nobody would need them any more. She would only give Washu what she needed, and Ayeka could have enough for peace of mind. There was no need to bring everything to light. It wouldn't do any good.

               She found the deactivation device for the generator and shut it down. Tenchi watched as the spinning poles at the machine's core slowed and eventually stopped. Tsunami opened her eyes, seeming a little tired. "That is everything. Shoji will no longer be receiving anything to keep him hostile."

               "He's really on our side?" Tenchi asked, still a little unsure of exactly what had happened.

               Tsunami nodded. "The only thing we can blame him for is carelessness. You and the others may decide if any retribution is necessary when he recovers, provided Washu can revive him now."

               Tsunami sat down in one of the chairs by a computer and Tenchi followed suit. "I think I will need to rest for a while before we return," she said.

               Tenchi had assumed she would have gone to sleep, but apparently she just needed some time to compose herself as it were. "So... how did he end up with Taishi in the first place?"

               "As Kiyone-dono said Tenchi: 'only an earthling like him could get himself abducted by aliens.' It would not be difficult to abduct anyone on this planet, provided they were looking the correct way."

               Tenchi smiled wryly. "I see."

               The pair sat in silence for almost half an hour. Tsunami seemed to be meditating as she regained her energy while Tenchi lay on the floor and debated how to keep some of the girls from killing Shoji when they got back. He himself would attempt to take out his remaining anger on his grandfather when he next went for sword practice, and naturally get beaten in the most humiliating way possible. He figured that would be a pretty good, if rather unpleasant way to deal with the fact he couldn't really blame the man, even if a part of him still wanted to.

               One question did find its way into his mind as he lay there though. "Tsunami?"

               "Yes?"

               "You knew there weren't any enemies here, didn't you?"

               Tsunami didn't respond for a little while, but bowed her head. "Yes."

               "Then why did you bring me here? You know Sasami wanted to come."

               Tsunami hesitated for a moment. "Because I wanted to speak with you."

               Tenchi raised his eyebrows. "About what? We chatted most of the way here, but I don't think any of that was it, right?"

               Tsunami sighed and tried to compose herself. "Tenchi, I did not want to have to tell you this. Over the past few years you, all of you, have come to mean something to me that I do not fully understand. The concept of friends or family was as alien to me as my powers must be to you. When you met, Sasami took a liking to you. She became your friend. One day Sasami and I will become one, and on that day my mortal life will begin. I will not be the first to make this change, but the only other who has does not understand what it meant for her. She chose not to remember her life as a goddess, so she could truly experience humanity. I wanted to make safeguards, because I chose a different method of assimilation. I will become Sasami as much as Sasami will become me. We became the same person as soon as I shared my life with her all those years ago. It is a terrifying prospect to truly become another person, even if you know that person is just another facet of yourself, but I believe it will come out well in the end." She took a slow breath.

               "Tenchi? Do you want Sasami to die?"

               Tenchi shot up to stare at her. "Of course not! What do you mean by that? Is she in danger?"

               "No Tenchi, but she is capable of being killed. And when we join that will not change. I... do not want to die. So I made myself a guardian in preparation for the day my death will become possible. You, just like Taishi said."

               Tenchi sat stunned as she continued. "I am not proud of my actions, and even when I gave you the Light Hawk Wings I could regret my doing so, even though they have saved your life on more than on occasion. A long time ago I decided that it was selfish of me. You will be able to do as you please. However, Taishi did not lie. I did have an ulterior motive, and... you deserve to know that."

               Tenchi sat looking at her before he spoke. "That doesn't matter. I don't think anyone wants to die. I won't give up my life just to be a bodyguard, I mean I'm not going to follow you around every minute, or if you leave Earth I can't say I'll come with you, but I'd protect you anyway as long as I could. I will for any of you provided I can. I just don't think I'm the best person to do it."

               "No Tenchi," Tsunami said as she came over to sit by him, "not the best, but you are the one we chose. You are far more capable than you give yourself credit for."

               Tenchi lay back on the floor. He couldn't say he really agreed with the goddess, he certainly didn't see himself as anything special, but he could at least accept the compliment.

***

               Ryoko whimpered under the fingers of the greatest scientist in the universe as she probed the would-be demon-girl for more injuries. "Washu, for that last time, owww! STOP IT! I can heal myself!"

               "Fine," Washu huffed half-heartedly, "but you'll ache in the morning. *Hmph*, what's a mother to do huh?"

               Ayeka shrugged, thoroughly enjoying the spectacle of Ryoko being mothered by a 'girl' half her size. "It really is terrible when a little girl cannot accept her mother's love, right Sasami?"

               Sasami nodded, which only got Ryoko more exasperated. "Then perhaps we should invite your parents over. Then your Mummy can love you all she wants."

               Ayeka sweatdropped and gave a placating smile. "Mmm, perhaps not."

               Nagi watched the trio with a little incredulity. This was a side of them she had never seen, and she really didn't know what to make of it. If they weren't so obviously hung up on the Earth boy she might have though they were married! To each other!

               "Now then Nagi, cloak off please. Let's have a look at that side of yours." Washu snapped another set of prophylactic gloves over her hands.

               Nagi just looked at her, then unclipped the cloak, revealing the tight fitting armoured bodysuit beneath. There wasn't any point in trying to avoid Washu's ministrations, and she hurt an awful lot, although she could have fooled any of them.

               "Eeee! Took a nasty couple there didn't you?" Washu asked rhetorically as she examined the blaster wounds. The body suit was still intact but had taken a lot of energy, and the flesh beneath was obviously badly damaged. "Off with the suit too I'm afraid."

               Rather than wait for Washu's coming offer of privacy in another room she unlatched the blue armour and peeled her arms out of the black under-suit so she could pull it down to her waist. She had no aversion to being seen naked. In fact she had used her allure to catch more than one criminal.

               "Healthy aren't we?" Washu commented before examining the wounds. Indeed, Ryoko and Ayeka had just enough of a look before turning away to be rather envious of the bounty hunter's athletic figure.

               "Her breasts are bigger than yours," Ryoko whispered to Ayeka, trying not to feel too depressed.

               "And in better shape than yours," Ayeka bit back, annoyed at having it pointed out to her.

               Neither of them was wrong. 

               "If you two are going to argue, could you please not do it right over me?"

               The pair looked down to see Kiyone coming to as she lay between them. "Should I feel awful?"

               "Probably," remarked Ryoko. "You've been shot up, flown around and stuck in combat for hours."

               "Good," said the teal haired patient, "because I do. Did everything go okay?"

               "Actually everything has gone quite well," Ayeka replied. "It did get a little dangerous at one point, but we are all but done. We are just waiting for Tenchi and Tsunami-sama to return."

               "What, no Tenchi-*sama*?" Ryoko asked playfully.

               Ayeka smiled a little sadly. "Tenchi will always be royalty, whatever I call him."

               Over with Washu and Nagi, Sasami was helping to try and find what Washu had wanted from the small amount of supplies she had been able to get. "No, no more liquids at all. The bandages are here though."

               "Well, that'll have to do," Washu said. She took another look at Nagi's wounds before wrapping them up. "You're lucky there isn't more damage, but I'm afraid my little assistant here informs me that we are out of painkillers or sedatives, so you'll have to grin and bear it." She put a finger to her lips. "I could bop you on the head I suppose."

               Nagi gave her a deadpan stare and started to pull her suit back on. "No thanks."

               Washu looked over to the others. "If Kiyone's awake then Shoji will be up soon too. Tsunami did both of them."

               Ayeka looked over to Shoji. He was still out, wearing the bizarre armour Washu had been taking a look at every now and then. Apparently he wasn't in any serious danger, but they would have to get it off him soon so Washu could treat him. And lying next to him was Mihoshi, fast asleep curled up against his side. In fact it looked rather cute. Ayeka was amazed how Mihoshi could be so forgiving. Even though she now knew he was not under his own influence when he had fought the blonde detective she still felt a little cautious of him, and she hoped she could remain objective when he came round again. It seemed Mihoshi had none of those problems.

               "When he wakes up I'll kick his ass," Ryoko said bluntly.

               Ayeka glared at her, "And of course you have never been under anyone else's control, have you?"

               Ryoko didn't have a come back for that, but she didn't want one. She could admit Ayeka was right this time. She out of any of them had no right to deal out the retribution. The one person who did was curled up beside him.

               "He's not a bad guy," Kiyone said, a little tiredly. "But if he runs off again, then *I'll* kill him!" She sighed a little. "I hope he doesn't. I think they actually might work together."

               "Do I detect a hint of jealousy there Kiyone-dono?" Washu asked as she pottered over.

               Kiyone chuckled a little. "If I'd wanted him I would have kept him. He's not what I'd be looking for, but he is a nice guy."

               Ryoko *humph*ed a little, "Tenchi's nicer."

               Any further discussion was stopped when the man in question moaned, rousing Mihoshi from her sleep.

               "Shoji!" Mihoshi exclaimed, scrambling to her knees and lifting his head onto them.

               "OW, damn that hurts!" Shoji said. He opened his eyes and staring back at him were two blue orbs he now knew very well. He had thought he would never see them again.

               "Oh my God, Mihoshi, I'm..." *CLONK*

               Mihoshi practically jumped as Shoji's head lolled back again. She looked up startled and more than a little angry. "WASHU-CHAN!! That was so *mean*!"

               Washu stood there and crossed her arms, holding a pipe wrench that had mysteriously appeared. "We can't have him waking up until we know he's de-programmed, right?"

               "But he was okay!"

               "But you couldn't know that," Washu came back.

               Ayeka looked at the small bump slowly forming on Shoji's head. "He did seem rather more apologetic than last time Washu."

               Ayeka flinched as a fan hit her smartly on the backside. "Washu-chan."

               The scientist stood unrepentant. "I'm not taking any chances. If he wants me to heal him up I want proof he's sane."

               Mihoshi looked ready to burst at the apparent injustice. "But Washu-chan!..."

               The crescendo of argument was enough to muffle the *wzzumph* of Tenchi and Tsunami's return, making Nagi turn to see what it was. Sasami was the only other person not embroiled in the argument to notice, and she ran up to him, closely followed by Ryo-ohki and Ken-ohki. "Tenchi nii-chan, welcome back!" She hugged him round the middle as Ryo-ohki bounded up and sat on his head, with Ken-ohki taking his perch on Nagi's shoulder. "Did you fix Shoji?"

               Tenchi nodded, smiling. "Yeah, everything's fine." Then he looked at the quarrelling girls. "Sasami-chan, could you tell them that he's okay now please?"

               Sasami nodded cheerfully and ran back to the others. Tenchi watched with resignation as she tried to talk over them, with little success. Nagi got up and walked past him, laying a hand on his shoulder as she did. "Tenchi? You have my condolences."

               Tenchi sighed as she headed out the door. It seemed like things were starting to get back to 'normal' already. "... Thanks."

***

To Be Concluded...

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***************

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Please send any comments and criticisms to:

nutzoide@hotmail.com

Or leave them on the archive where you found this story.

If it will help me improve, I want to hear it.

Also, feel free to visit my website at: www 'dot' geocities 'dot' com/nutzoides

Author's Notes:

               Well here it is, the penultimate chapter. Only the epilogue to go. I'm very glad I did revise and elaborate this section of the story, because it meant I could use some material I couldn't find a place for before, and that really makes the story feel a bit more well tied up.               

***

Translation Notes: 

                   -chan: Diminutive honorific. The closest English speakers have is 'little' or 'li'l'. Used for children, very close friends or lovers. A term of affection with the connotation of youth.

                   -dono: Translated as 'Lord/Lady' or as 'Sir' in the way a knight would be addressed. Can imply martial prestige.

                   -ken: The name attached is the name of a sword. The Tenchi-ken is the 'Sword Tenchi'. (It can also mean 'technique' or 'fist' when used as a suffix for the name of a move. I won't be using it that way in this fanfic though.)

                   -sama: Formal honorific. Translated as 'Lord' or 'Lady'. Very respectful.

                   -san: Translated as Mr. or Miss. And so on. Can be used for both family and personal names.

                   -sensei: Translates as teacher or professor and can be used as a word on its own.

                   Bokken: A wooden training sword.

                   Chibi: Translates as small with the implication of cuteness. I'm using it when describing a super deformed image of someone. Super deformed is when the character is very small or squashed, chubby and very cute, as seen used in some anime and manga for comic effect.

                   Glomp: A very enthusiastic hug, almost physically throwing yourself at the target to be glomped.

                   Imouto: Meaning 'younger sister' and often used with the '-chan' suffix although other can be used.

                   Kanji: The Japanese naming characters.

                   Kappa: A Japanese water sprite. 

                   Karaoke: Popular pastime. Music is played along with the lyrics and you sing the song yourself. 

                   Kata: A set of martial arts moves linked together into a sequence for training purposes. Practised solo.

                   Kimono: A traditional Japanese outfit tied round the middle with a wide ribbon or similar length of material called an 'Obi'.

                   Manga: Japanese comics. There are types for pretty much everybody, not just the children and collectors.

                   Miso: Bean paste often used in soup. Comes in several varieties.

                   Mori Tatakai: Literally translates as 'Forest Battle'. I used the Japanese since I designed it as a Jurai thing, not Earth related.

                   Onee-sama / Onee-chan: Meaning 'elder sister'. The '-sama' variation is respected and the '-chan' one is more affectionate.

                   Onii-sama / Onii-chan: As above but meaning brother. Sasami uses the '-chan' variations of both for members the family because she feels affection for them, as family and friends.

                   (They can also be used without the 'O' at the beginning when placed after someone's name, signifying that that person is their 'brother' or 'sister'. Sasami uses this for the family she is not immediately related to such as Tenchi and those she considers family like Ryoko.)                   

                   Onsen: A public or communal bath. Often associated with a hot spring.

                   Ramen: A noodle broth.

                   Sake: Japanese rice wine.

                   Sashimi: Small portions of raw fish.

                   Sushi: Small portions of raw fish often with vegetables wrapped in rice and a seaweed sheet.

                   Tanto: A Japanese dagger. Often looks very much like a dagger sized katana. The katana is the traditional samurai sword.

                   Tanuki: Smallish Japanese mammal similar to a raccoon (I think). Tanuki statues are often placed outside shops for good luck.

                   Tempura: A form of deep fried food.

                   Teriyaki/Sukiyaki: Japanese sauces/marinades.

                   Wasabi: A hot Japanese horseradish often served on or accompanying sushi.

***

Completed: June 20th - 2003

Posted: July 4th - 2003


	11. My Family

Before we start let's get one thing straight: Tenchi Muyo and everything that officially comprises it is owned by AIC and Pioneer. This is unofficial and the story and original characters I create belong to me, so I'd be grateful if you ask before using them in something else. Please, PLEASE don't sue me. I'm only doing this because I'd probably be lynched if I didn't finish this fic!

***

                      Faith, Hope & Carrot Soup

              - A Tenchi Muyo Fan-Fiction By Nutzoide -

                        Chapter 10: My Family

               Shoji sat up and put his bowl down on the bedside table. He was now sure that Washu was trying to use him as a test subject to see if chicken soup actually had medicinal effects, because it was all she'd given him for the last two days, ever since he had woken up again. He'd told her that it was supposed to be a cold remedy and not normally used to help recover from being shot, but she had implausible deniability (or at least absurd deniability) down to an art.

               According to her the others had been on something of a victory high while he was stuck in her lab, and it was beginning to get to him that he had absolutely nothing to do.

               He'd sorely hoped that Mihoshi would have been the first to come and see him when Washu had said she would allow him visitors, but Ryoko had been first in line. In fact the ex-pirate had actually been very congenial with him, but he didn't miss the underlying distrust she still held. Tenchi and Ayeka had been more friendly, and he was glad to know they didn't hold him too responsible for what had happened.

               "Hi Kiyone. Nice to see you again. How come you get to be up and around already? From what I heard you were worse off than I was."

               Kiyone walked in, still a little stiffly, and sat down in the chair beside Shoji's bed. "Washu's making the most of having you. How are you feeling?"

               He smiled, very glad she was one of the ones still okay with him being there. "Nothing worse than chicken soup poisoning." At Kiyone's raised eyebrow he chuckled a little. "Seriously, there's nothing wrong with me."

               Kiyone nodded. "I'm glad. Mihoshi's still on tenterhooks waiting to see you. You put up quite a performance up there you know. You had all of us fooled."

               Shoji dropped his head. "I can't remember that."

               Kiyone drew nearer, her eyebrows raised. "Really? Tsunami said you'd remember everything. The others may have forgotten that, but I haven't."

               Shoji looked into her eyes. "Please, don't remind them. It'll be easier for everybody if they think I never knew what I did. I can do the guilt thing on my own time, but I don't want them to think about it. I just want to forget it."

               Kiyone sighed. She couldn't argue with his logic, although she didn't exactly agree with it. "Just tell me one thing. Are you leaving again?"

               Shoji shook his head. "No. I'm not proud of doing a runner either, that's what got me into this mess. Ryoko tells me I'm out of a job, so I don't even have to go for that now. I want to try and make up with Mihoshi at least."

               Kiyone finally smiled. "Just one question, who's Shinyoko? I do hope you're not thinking of two timing my partner or I may have to get angry."

               "Oh nuts!" Shoji let out a hard breath. "I'm late. How did you find out about her anyway?"

               Kiyone looked shocked. Was he admitting there was someone else? "Her name was on your fridge door when we came to look for you." She looked at him dangerously. "Who is she?"

               Shoji cackled a little, but Kiyone couldn't miss the melancholy look in his eyes. "Don't worry, it's just my sister. She died a long time ago. I go up on her birthday to visit. Maybe I'll take Mihoshi so see her." He thought a bit. "Then again a graveyard isn't the best place for a first date, is it?"

               Kiyone laughed. "Not really." She sat back in the chair. "You actually had me going for a bit there."

               From behind her Mihoshi's head peeked round the door impatiently. Shoji peered over to see her and Kiyone followed his look. "Come on in Mihoshi, I think he's safe."

               Mihoshi practically bounced in and stood next to the bed a little anxiously. Now she was finally getting to see him awake she didn't really know what she should do. "Ummm...Hello Shoji-san. Are you feeling better now?"

               Shoji smiled a little apprehensively himself. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm really sorry for putting you through all that."

               Mihoshi shook her head. "No, that wasn't your fault. Washu and Tsunami said so. I'm really sorry about shooting you though." She lowered her eyes. "Are you mad at me?"

               "Are you kidding?" Shoji said, very much relieved. "I deserved a lot more than what you gave me. Come to think of it I think Ryoko was ready to finish what you started, but I guess someone talked her out of it."

               Mihoshi let out a sigh of relief. "No, Ryoko knows you were a good guy." She stood there smiling. It looked like everything would be all right after all.

               Shoji looked up at her happy face and decided that if he was ever going to do it now was the best time. "Umm... Mihoshi, if you're interested, and when I'm capable of moving under my own power, do you want to go out for dinner or something sometime?"

               Kiyone could practically feel the happiness radiating off Mihoshi as she squealed in delight. "Yes, I'd really, really like to!" Two seconds later Shoji found himself in a very awkward hug with the blonde as she bounded forward onto him.

               Kiyone smiled for them. It was about time something went right for her partner again. "You know, Mihoshi, perhaps you should do that when he's got a shirt on, or in fact anything more than a sheet. Otherwise I think you might end up skipping the dating bit."

               Mihoshi looked down to see that indeed she was hugging a very nude chest and she blushed furiously. "Oh, I'm sorry!" She let go of him and stepped back quickly.

               Shoji had the decency to flush a little too as he made sure the sheet still covered the rest of him. "Yeah, I think that can wait a little."

               Mihoshi went an even deeper shade of red and she started pressing her index fingers together in that cute way she did. Shoji heard a knock and the trio turned to see Ryo-ohki and Ken-ohki, both in child humanoid form walking in, Sasami helping Ken-ohki get used to the fact this was the first time he had ever done this. Ryo-ohki pottered up to the bed and 'Miyad' happily, holding what he assumed to be his next bowl.

               Mihoshi looked over to Ken-ohki as Sasami caught him just in time to stop him ending up on his back. "Oh Ken-ohki, Washu gave you some more Masu too huh? That's really nice!"

               Ken-ohki straightened up looking a little annoyed with himself for being so clumsy in the new form. "Chauuuuuuu," he said pitifully, and Ryo-ohki giggled.

               "Nice to see you again Sasami," Shoji said politely. "I heard you were very brave when you came to fight."

               Sasami looked up to him and smiled. In truth she was very proud of herself for her part in the assault/rescue operation. "I just wanted to help. They never let me do anything important round here." It was then she noticed, as Mihoshi had, just how much bare skin wasn't covered by the sheet as he sat up in bed. "Umm... well, I'm glad you're okay and everything... I have to errr..." don't look, don't look "I have to go now. I think Onee-sama wants me to do, er, something. I'm-glad-you're-okay-bye!" Sasami walked as quickly as she could out of the room, leaving Ken-ohki to Mihoshi to support.

               By the time she reached the door she *knew* her ears were burning. Stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid! Why did you stare like that? What are they going to think now? *sigh* I really need to get a life!

               She took a deep breath and counted to ten, trying to repress the hideous feeling of embarrassment. What a way to meet him again. She set off to find something to do. Preferably something that didn't involve thinking about anything related to, well, 'that'. 

               Back in the room Shoji chuckled a little sympathetically, feeling sorry for the poor girl. She had been blushing like a beetroot. I really should have covered up a bit more.

               He looked to the two detectives. "She'll be okay, right? I guess I should apologise for that."

               "She'll be okay," Kiyone said, "though she'd appreciate an apology. She's only just getting used to it."

               Shoji nodded. "First thing I do when I get out of here."

               Mihoshi nodded in agreement, holding Ken-ohki's hand to stop him toppling over. "Well, she was glad to see you're okay!"

               In front of the others Ryo-ohki nodded. "Miya."

               She held up the bowl she was carrying and offered it to Shoji. "Miya miiya!"

               "Thanks Ryo-ohki-chan." He gave her a smile and took the bowl. He'd been slowly grazing on the soups all day, meaning by the time he had finished one the next was already there. He looked down at the bowl. He wasn't used to eating anything quite that colour. He looked over to see Ryo-ohki staring hopefully back.

               Here goes. He took a spoonful. He couldn't help but smile and lifted an eyebrow. "Carrot?"

               Ryo-ohki beamed at him. "Miya!"

               Well, he thought, it makes a change from chicken!

***

               Ayeka watched from the flower garden as Mihoshi and Shoji set off from the house. Neither was intending to go formal for the date, but it had still taken an absolute age for Mihoshi to get ready, with Kiyone, Sasami and a rather amused and somewhat intrigued Tsunami diligently helping.

               She smiled a little and turned back to the rose she was gently pruning. "You know, I'm rather tempted to follow them and see how it turns out."

               Kiyone looked up from behind her forsythia. "Yeah, but I'll let them have this to themselves I think."

               The pair continued working for a while, Ayeka's light humming filling the air. While Kiyone had taken the battle in her stride as only a trained detective could, Ayeka had been enjoying the trivial pursuits of normal life again, as had the others. It always seemed to happen after one of these incidents. Spend a week or so appreciating what you had begun to take for granted.

               After a while Kiyone dusted her hands off. "I'd better be going Ayeka. Mihoshi may be set up at the bar but I still need to find a job."

               Ayeka rose herself. "Have you tried to get employment there as well? I would think you would be quite suited to it."

               Kiyone shook her head. "No, if I did karaoke for a living I think I'd lose it as something for myself."

               The pair walked slowly to the gate. "Well, take care Kiyone. Drop by again soon."

               Kiyone nodded as she headed off. Now all she had to do was find someone in the area willing to hire her.

               For her part Ayeka knew Kiyone would be successful in whatever it was that she went for. Though she may not seem the most outstanding of people on first impression Kiyone rarely failed in what she set out to do. 

               The princess headed back to the garden and tidied away the tools, remembering to retrieve the book they had been using for reference. 

               Strange that Ryoko hasn't been lying around these past few days she thought as she headed inside. It was true that Ryoko it seemed was actually attempting to make herself useful around the house. Since they had gotten back to doing their chores the ex-pirate was taking them without so much as a single pout. Of course, it was also apparent she had been giving Tenchi the space he had asked for before they had made their assault on the Juraian ship, and it didn't take much to put the two together. She was trying her hardest to impress him.

               As if right on cue Ryoko floated downstairs, looking a little dishevelled but otherwise in very good spirits, and Ayeka had to grin. "More complements from Tenchi? Your recent obsequiousness is almost shameless Ryoko."

               "Huh? What's obsecusness?" Ryoko asked, coming out of her little haze.

               Ayeka shook her head. "Never mind. I'm going to take a bath before lunch, and since that place it the only one where we seem to be capable of civilised conversation I wouldn't be adverse to some company."

               Ryoko raised here eyebrows. "My, aren't we feeling wordy today? Sure. I'll bring the sake."

*** 

               In Washu's sub-space laboratory Azaka and Kamidake were once again finding themselves subject to being used as auxiliary equipment for another of the family's little exercises.

               "Washu-chan, are you nearly finished? We've had this field up for three days now." Kamidake was beginning to get put out by it.

               Azaka was beginning to agree that she was just taking advantage of them. "This level of usage is very tiring Washu-chan."

               Washu tutted and shook her finger at them. "And I know exactly what your energy capabilities are, so stop complaining. And anyway, yes I'm almost done."

               She leaned back in to cut the small cluster of wiring that ran through the collar of the armour she had finally manage to extricate Shoji from several days before. It had turned out to be a very intricate and somewhat illegal bit of clothing. She still hadn't found the summoning ring for it yet, but to be honest it was now little more than junk thanks to all the tampering she had done.

               Aside from the various electrical stimulant devices built into it the thing had been shock wired so that anyone facing it in hand to hand combat and breaching the outer layer would have been rather unpleasantly electrocuted. It had also had a not inconsiderable chemical explosive attached to it, designed to activate should the wearer expire. Finding that had been something of a panic considering she had been removing him from the suit at the time.

               Washu manoeuvred her own force field generators to carefully pry apart the final layer of cloth while the guardians kept it still and contained. This material had a nasty habit of coming apart rather vigorously when it finally reached breaking point. She got a bead on her target and clipped the final set of wiring that kept the machines going. "Ah, at last! Okay boys, you can drop it."

               The guardians did so with a great deal of relief and the suit fell to the table with a dull thump. "Whew!"

               "That's all," Washu said enthusiastically, "you two can go do whatever it is you do. I've got a suit to cannibalise."

               Kamidake sighed and headed for the door while Azaka wondered just what it was she could use in that mess of wire and cloth. "Cannibalise Washu-chan?"

               Washu grinned. "First lesson of the spoils of war; it's yours so make the best of it!"

               "Ah." Azaka just turned to follow his impatient comrade. He didn't really want to know what she would do with the bits that could still work. None of them were entirely legal.

               Azaka made sure to 'bow' as he passed Tsunami entering the lab. "My Lady, you are well?"

               Tsunami nodded. The experience of preparing Mihoshi for her date had been most enlightening. "Quite well, thank you Azaka. I believe Kamidake is waiting for you."

               "Yes, I would expect so," Azaka replied as he floated off. Tsunami moved over beside Washu as the scientist was picking over the now defunct armour.

               "And how can I help you Tsunami? I thought Nagi wanted to talk to you."

               "Nagi-san and I have already spoken, and the others were quite right, bathing is a most relaxing way of spending unused time. I was wondering, however, whether you had given any more thought to the matter I mentioned."

               Washu finally put down the suit and looked up. "You didn't put the cabbits up to asking as well did you? They decided to pay me a visit last night with similar pleas."

               Tsunami didn't move but her smile may have widened just a little. "I may have mentioned the possibility to them at some point." 

               Washu gave her a deadpan stare. "I see." She sighed and started to walk off. "Come on."

               Washu had been hesitant to take on this request, despite the fact that a goddess had taken an interest in it. Sure, she had intended to give it a look eventually, but it still left something of a bitter taste in her mouth. As much as it intrigued her, working on the technology Taishi had used so close to their battle wasn't something she had planned on.

               "It will give you something new to work on for a great deal of time Washu, and I know that you are interested."

               "It's Washu-*chan*."

               "As you wish." Tsunami didn't seem too apologetic this time.

               Washu sighed as she reached her door. "I'll do it. I just think it's too soon. How will everyone else react? Ryoko has enough to deal with right now."

               Tsunami smiled again. "Perhaps, but everyone deserves a second chance. The others will come to accept it, just as they have everything else."

               The pair stepped out into the next room. It was not as brightly lit as the rest of the lab had become since Washu had started re-working it, nor did it have the flora she had been slowly adding.

               "Ryoko may have trouble, but in the end she will be best served by it."

               Washu nodded as they stepped up to the central table. On it were the remnants of the machine. "Believe it on not Tsunami, I'm not a cruel woman. I just want what's best for my daughter. I don't want her to hate me for this."

               Tsunami lay a hand on the smaller woman's shoulder. "She won't. That I can guarantee."

               Washu took a deep breath and nodded. "Everything's here?"

               Tsunami stretched out with her essence, sensing every tiny part of the mechanical wonder. "Yes. There is no need to recreate the shell totally though. That might be as cruel as never doing anything. I think you know what she needs."

               Washu nodded and a smile crept onto her face. "It might take a while." She turned to the mechanical body that lay before her. "Okay then Syren-chan, let's see if we can get you working again."

***

               Ayeka and Ryoko lay back in the warm water of the onsen, the used wash bowl floating between them with the sake bottle, now half empty. 

               "So," said Ryoko, her eyes half closed as she luxuriated in the water, "what did you want to talk about? You still haven't told me anything and you'll be too pissed to speak soon!"

               Ayeka cast a warning eye over to her. "You've had more than I have Ryoko. Would you rather be fighting?"

               Ryoko shook her head slowly and took another sip of the alcohol. "No, not right now." 

               The pair lapsed back into silence and just let the gentle sound of falling water fill the air. Ayeka sighed contentedly as she reached for the bottle again and poured herself another small dish. I should probably stop soon, she thought, or Sasami will have another go at me. 

               She took a sip and set the dish down to float in the water. Despite Ryoko's new-found helpfulness she hadn't made her play for Tenchi yet. She was waiting for him. It seemed so unlike her.

               She was broken from her thoughts by Ryoko again. "Ayeka, are you gonna stick around? Permanently I mean. You stayed for the battle, and, well... Just seems like everything's back to the way it was, sort of."

               Ayeka paused for a moment. In all honesty she hadn't given the idea of leaving any more thought since the night of their departure for Taishi's ship. "I don't know any more Ryoko. I don't know where I would go. This place is my home now, and the people here my family. Closer than my real one. I don't know if I could go back to the palace and carry on the same way I used to."

               Ryoko sat up and looked over at her properly. "Does that mean you're staying?"

               "I don't think I can leave. Not now anyway. Eventually my father will come for me again, but until then..."

               Ryoko smiled and lay back in the water again. "Good. I'd get bored without someone to argue with."

               Ayeka smiled. "So says the new-made maid."

               "Huh?"

               "Perhaps we should send you to Washu again. You must be ill to be doing your chores with such enthusiasm."

               Ryoko frowned but didn't look at her. "You complained when I didn't do them too." She downed the rest of her sake.

               "Oh I'm not complaining, it just seems so unlike the Ryoko we've come to know and leave in front of the TV."

               It seemed that that struck a nerve because Ryoko just *humph*ed and turned around, away from her, and pulling the sake bottle with her.

               "Ryoko?" Ayeka asked with a little concern. "What is it?"

               When Ryoko ignored her she tried again, and the second time she got an uncomfortable response. "I just want him to love me. I've tried to do everything he wants but I can't get close to him because he doesn't want me to. I don't know how much more I can do before I can't keep it up any more, and then I'll do something stupid."

               Ayeka's heart went out to her. She knew exactly what she meant. "Asking for some space doesn't mean he doesn't want you around. Just don't force yourself on him. Have you ever tried just talking to him? Tenchi and I have some wonderful time together just talking."

               Ayeka was shocked back when Ryoko burst out of the water and rounded on her. "SHUT UP! You're just... You only..." Ayeka watched in surprise as Ryoko paused in her tirade as suddenly as she had started. Ryoko was desperately looking for something to prove her instincts right; that would let her take out everything on this condescending woman. But Ayeka wasn't patronising her this time. As if at a silent signal Ryoko's features fell and she sat back in the water heavily. Ayeka wasn't... She didn't... "Why are you helping me?" 

               "Maybe I want to see him happy? And maybe I don't want to see you making yourself miserable."

               Ryoko stared at her with incredulity. If someone had told her about this conversation two years ago she would have called them insane. But now all she wanted to do was see Tenchi. She rose from the water. "Ayeka... Thanks." She phased into some clothes and quickly headed for the door.

               Behind her Ayeka turned in the water and finished her sake. "You're welcome Ryoko."

               She lay there for some time, wondering if she had made the right choice. She could feel it already, the jealousy crawling under her skin. Only one thought stopped her from considering whether staying there was such a good idea. She wanted to *see* them happy. And I think Ryoko's idea of romance might be somewhat entertaining to watch.

               "You've earned some respect today princess."

               Ayeka's head shot round and up to see a spiky haired head peering at her from one of the upper pools. "Nagi-san?"

               "You're stronger than I gave you credit for." She turned back and out of view as she lay back in the water.

               Ayeka just stared in surprise. Had she been there all this time? And she had not so much as said a word to her since they had got back. "Nagi-san, why are you still here? I assume you heard my reasons."

               Nagi didn't respond for a while, and Ayeka thought she was just going to ignore her when she did speak. "I have no need to move on."

               "There must be more to it than that. I never would have thought you were the type to board at a shrine."

               Again Nagi took her time to respond. "It is very obvious I do not belong on this planet, and I have no intention of standing out. When your brother offered a room I saw no reason not to accept. He is your brother, correct?"

               Ayeka sighed. "Yes." Nagi's response still bothered her though, and she wanted a real answer, not just more avoidance from the bounty hunter. "You're staying close to Ryoko? Waiting for the right time to take your victory? That wasn't part of the deal. You were supposed to leave after we helped you get your revenge."

               "... Tsunami was very helpful, and enlightening. She is also very powerful. I have no doubt that were I to try something here I would disappear very quickly. Jurai no longer has a bounty on Ryoko thanks to the statute of limitations, so she is no longer a target."

               Ayeka saw through that one instantly. "That didn't stop you last time. I don't believe there aren't a few crazed individuals who would be willing to pay for her scalp."

               This time Nagi didn't respond. She did however stand up and climb down to the main pool on the floor of the onsen. Ayeka was quite unnerved as the bounty hunter sat back down in the water opposite her. "Y-you didn't answer my question Nagi-san."

               Nagi's gaze bore straight into her eyes. "Ryoko is no longer a target of mine. The matter is settled."

               Ayeka decided that she would rather drop the subject than make the woman opposite her angry. As she had seen briefly on the ship Nagi was a powerfully built woman, tall and very fit. Ayeka had no desire to provoke her, even though she thought she might be able to hold her own if the hunter did attack her.

               She lowered her eyes. "Ryoko doesn't know that. She thinks you're waiting to get her."

               Nagi smiled a smile that held no comfort at all. One that Ayeka found a little frightening. "Good."

               "But why do you want her afraid of you if you're not trying to capture her any more?"

               "I was never trying to capture her! I wanted her *dead*!" Nagi growled out. Then she glared at the Ayeka. She had baited her into the open. She got up and strode towards the princess, causing her to shift backwards slightly. She was little more than three feet away when she stopped and sat back down, crossing her legs under the water. "I want her afraid. I hate her with a passion that you can only dream about. And now there is nothing I can do about it. But she can still fear me. It's the only power over her I have left. And now you're going to take that from me as well, aren't you?" Somehow that question felt more dangerous than any threat she could have used.

               Ayeka tried to force as much courage into herself as she could. There was just something menacing about the woman, even as she sat there naked in the bath. "You can't harm me any more than you can Ryoko. Yes, I'm going to tell her."

               "I thought as much." And somehow the proud woman seemed to sag under an invisible weight. "Ayeka-san, you want to know why I'm here?"

               "Yes."

               "Ever since I heard of Ryoko's reappearance nothing has gone right. I had finally got another chance at my goal, and it almost destroyed me. In my life I have had five occasions where I could have once and for all killed that demon of a woman. And each time I couldn't do it, because *I* hadn't won. I had never beaten her by my own skill. Once I even had her on her knees, and if I had told her to, I think she would have actually begged for her life. There was no honour there though, no resolution, I would not kill her without earning my victory. When she attacked Jurai, destroyed so much of the capitol, killed so many people, I regretted never having finished it when I had the chance. And now it is out of my hands, and I have to be grateful she is still alive."

               Nagi turned and sat back against the side. "As you said, I made a mistake. I don't make mistakes. There are few who can stand up to me, but what good is that if I cannot stand up to myself? Ken-ohki, as much as I might not like it, has become very attached to Ryo-ohki. It shouldn't really surprise me. She's the only other cabbit he's ever met, and a girl at that. This time I'm giving him what he wants, and I can try and find the answer I want." She uncrossed her legs and lay back in the water. "And now you have your answer Ayeka-san."

               "So you will be staying for a while?" Ayeka asked.

               "For now. The shrine is suitable for my needs, and I will have no problem paying for accommodation, although I suspect Katsuhito will prefer I work for it." Without another word Nagi rose and headed for the benches and a towel, leaving Ayeka to her bath.

               Ayeka turned to see her finish dressing. She was still wearing her usual armoured outfit. "Nagi-san, I'm glad to see you healed well." She thought that as long as Nagi was staying there it wouldn't hurt to at least attempt to be friendly.

               Nagi stopped as she headed for the door, but she didn't turn. "Thank you."

               As she left Ayeka lay back in the water closed her eyes and just let herself enjoy the water.

***

               Tenchi paused and wiped his brow, shifting Mayuka where she was held by the harness on his back. For some reason she seemed to find his small ponytail of hair fascinating and had been playing with it all afternoon. He smiled and continued sweeping the steps up to the shrine, happy to hear his daughter's joyful giggles every now and then. The girl seemed to have been perpetually happy since they had got back, as if she knew what had happened. According to his grandfather she had been very moody when the house had been so empty, even with the old man's enthusiasm with the child.

               Like the others he couldn't help but enjoy the work. He'd left all his chores for days now so he'd been spending the whole of today making sure he caught up. This was the last on his list, and the most tedious, but having Mayuka for company made it that bit less dull. He'd been spending a lot of time with her recently and she was loving it. When it was clear everyone would be catching up on work today he had taken care duty.

               He paused when he saw Ryoko walking hesitantly up the stairs. It was always painfully obvious when she wanted to talk seriously because she always seemed to get so nervous, a trait she seemed to have kept from Zero. "Hi Ryoko. What's up?"

               Ryoko stopped where she was and looked up at him. She took a deep breath then strode as purposefully as she could up to him. "Tenchi, I want you to take me out."

               Tenchi sighed. "Ryoko. I told you I just need to work everything out. You mean a lot to me but..."

               "No," Ryoko cut him off. "I didn't say it right did I? I want to talk to you. I mean just talk."

               "Oh." Tenchi scratched the back of his head, and ended up giving Mayuka a finger to play with. After a few tugs he realized he wasn't going to get his hand back any time soon, so he lay his broom down and sat on the step. Ryoko managed a weak smile. "Well, we can talk now," he said.

               Ryoko's face fell. "No! I mean... I want to talk with you, just you. And I thought... Ayeka said it would work."

               Now Tenchi was really confused. "Ayeka told you to come and talk to me?"

               Ryoko looked at him then looked away. "She understands you normal people, how you feel, how you do stuff, what you're supposed to do together and think and... well, all that. She seems to have got it together... and I don't know how to do it. So she said talk to you." She paused and looked up. "I just don't want to *not* be around you any more."

              "Ryoko, come on, sit down." Tenchi managed to get Mayuka's interest back on his hair so he could get his finger back. Ryoko sat beside him and waited. "I didn't ask you to avoid me, just be a friend rather than a girl trying to get into my pants. Friends do stuff together."

               "Well, I do wanna get you in bed. I bet you'd like it too." His eyes went wide and he could feel what he knew would turn into a nosebleed if she decided to go into detail.

               "Uh, well, yeah, I'm not going to say I wouldn't but, errr..."

               Ryoko smiled gently. "I know." Then she looked right into his eyes, the eyes she found so beautiful. "I want to be with you. Just for you and me to do something together without anyone else to take you away." She smiled hopefully. "Can we do something, or just talk somewhere? We never go anywhere without the others so we never do anything for, you know, us."

               Tenchi's heart melted and he took her hand.

               Ryoko felt the hope rise in her. "So, can we?"

               "Of course we can. We deserve a proper outing and some time together."  He paused for a bit as a thought came to him.  "Anyway, we've never got to know anything about each other. Any of us. Sasami probably knows us best. At least she knows our favourite foods. You've been here more than two years too. That's pretty sad actually. So, what did you have in mind?"

               Ryoko gathered herself and thought for a bit. "Um... I don't really know. I just wanted to do something with you again." She smiled sheepishly. "Other than that, I mean."

               Tenchi smiled. "Well, it'll be a few days 'til the others take a shopping trip. We could head out when they're out too, so no-one's stuck inside. Maybe just head into town and see what takes our interest?"

               "Yeah, all right," Ryoko glowed nonchalantly.

***

               From the house Nobuyuki stared out of the window towards the pair with a wistful expression on his face. Beside him Katsuhito adjusted his glasses. "What do you think?"

               "He'll make me proud whatever happens."

               Katsuhito chuckled. "Always the hopeless romantic."

               Nobuyuki smiled. "There's nothing better or more perfect than simple romance."

               "Yes," said the priest as he turned to leave, "except that your idea of simple romance involves silk sheets."

               "Hey!"

***

               That night Ryoko couldn't sleep. Tenchi wanted to spend time with her too. She shook her head and turned over on her beam. She had to keep it in proportion. She sighed and turned over again, and this time lost her blanket. She groaned and floated down to get it, but there wasn't much point in going back to bed. It would do her any good right now.

               She headed for the large glass doors, intent on taking a walk (or in her case float) in the night air, when she heard Mayuka from her cot. Evidently she wasn't the only one who couldn't sleep.

               Quietly she lifted the infant out of her crib and walked slowly out to the decking at the edge of the lake. She sat cross legged in the clear night while Mayuka giggled happily from her arms. It was so calming listening to the sound of the water lapping gently below them and Ryoko's mind slowly began to unwind as she played idly with the small girl.

               Then, quite unexpectedly, Mayuka gurgled something that Ryoko could actually understand. She looked down in surprise at her and Mayuka looked back. "W-what?"

               Mayuka reached her arms up again now that Ryoko had stopped playing. "Aaaahh, ma mama."

               Ryoko sat astonished, and quite beyond her control a tear rolled down her cheek. Mayuka looked curiously back up at her. Ryoko felt herself smile and she gave the infant a tender hug - feeling something that she knew she would never let go of - and somewhere in sub-space a small red-haired scientist smiled for her daughter. 

***

               The next day the local paper had a small four panel manga in the back featuring a curious shrine boy who had to play peacemaker between the escaped shrine demon and the princesses who now lived there. It became strangely popular for a while.

***

The End

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Please send any comments and criticisms to:

nutzoide@hotmail.com

Or leave them on the archive where you found this story.

If it will help me improve, I want to hear it.

Also, feel free to visit my website at: www 'dot' geocities 'dot' com/nutzoides

Author's Notes:

               That's it. I hope you've all enjoyed reading this because I've certainly enjoyed writing it. Over a year in the making this has been quite a ride.

               Many thanks to Richard King for proof reading and assistance with several storytelling issues and technical scientific ideas. Also thanks to Rich Morgan (Zonefox) for proof reading and to my family and everyone else who has given assistance and support during the writing of this. Also thanks to all those who have sent feedback and reviews, in particular Literary Eagle and BobR for their frequent comments. They are both great Tenchi Muyo fanfic authors so I recommend that you check out their stories.

               Finally some of you may point out that there are a few threads that didn't get tied up fully or little bits that didn't get expanded on. The reason for this is that I do have a sequel planned, set some time after this. I do have other stories I want to do so I won't be writing it for a while, but it will get done.

               Thanks for reading.

***

Translation Notes: 

                   -chan: Diminutive honorific. The closest English speakers have is 'little' or 'li'l'. Used for children, very close friends or lovers. A term of affection with the connotation of youth.

                   -dono: Translated as 'Lord/Lady' or as 'Sir' in the way a knight would be addressed. Can imply martial prestige.

                   -ken: The name attached is the name of a sword. The Tenchi-ken is the 'Sword Tenchi'. (It can also mean 'technique' or 'fist' when used as a suffix for the name of a move. I won't be using it that way in this fanfic though.)

                   -sama: Formal honorific. Translated as 'Lord' or 'Lady'. Very respectful.

                   -san: Translated as Mr. or Miss. And so on. Can be used for both family and personal names.

                   -sensei: Translates as teacher or professor and can be used as a word on its own.

                   Bokken: A wooden training sword.

                   Chibi: Translates as small with the implication of cuteness. I'm using it when describing a super deformed image of someone. Super deformed is when the character is very small or squashed, chubby and very cute, as seen used in some anime and manga for comic effect.

                   Glomp: A very enthusiastic hug, almost physically throwing yourself at the target to be glomped.

                   Imouto: Meaning 'younger sister' and often used with the '-chan' suffix although other can be used.

                   Kanji: The Japanese naming characters.

                   Kappa: A Japanese water sprite. 

                   Karaoke: Popular pastime. Music is played along with the lyrics and you sing the song yourself. 

                   Kata: A set of martial arts moves linked together into a sequence for training purposes. Practiced solo.

                   Kimono: A traditional Japanese outfit tied round the middle with a wide ribbon or similar length of material called an 'Obi'.

                   Manga: Japanese comics. There are types for pretty much everybody, not just the children and collectors.

                   Miso: Bean paste often used in soup. Comes in several varieties.

                   Mori Tatakai: Literally translates as 'Forest Battle'. I used the Japanese since I designed it as a Jurai thing, not Earth related.

                   Onee-sama / Onee-chan: Meaning 'elder sister'. The '-sama' variation is respected and the '-chan' one is more affectionate.

                   Onii-sama / Onii-chan: As above but meaning brother. Sasami uses the '-chan' variations of both for members the family because she feels affection for them, as family and friends.

                   (They can also be used without the 'O' at the beginning when placed after someone's name, signifying that that person is their 'brother' or 'sister'. Sasami uses this for the family she is not immediately related to such as Tenchi and those she considers family like Ryoko.)                   

                   Onsen: A public or communal bath. Often associated with a hot spring.

                   Ramen: A noodle broth.

                   Sake: Japanese rice wine.

                   Sashimi: Small portions of raw fish.

                   Sushi: Small portions of raw fish often with vegetables wrapped in rice and a seaweed sheet.

                   Tanto: A Japanese dagger. Often looks very much like a dagger sized katana. The katana is the traditional samurai sword.

                   Tanuki: Smallish Japanese mammal similar to a raccoon (I think). Tanuki statues are often placed outside shops for good luck.

                   Tempura: A form of deep fried food.

                   Teriyaki/Sukiyaki: Japanese sauces/marinades.

                   Wasabi: A hot Japanese horseradish often served on or accompanying sushi.

***

Completed: July 14th - 2003

Posted: July 22nd - 2003


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